A Misinformed Betrayal
by Lana-Brooke
Summary: SEQUEL TO AN HONOURABLE BETRAYAL. The war is finally over. Hermione and Draco return to Hogwarts as teachers as they start their new life away from the challenges Voldemort created. But it is never that easy... . Dramione also a little GWxHP
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Warning! First chapter does have a sex scene. BUT it is more emotionally descriptive rather than graphic so its not too bad. Thankyou's must go to JKR the genius who created the fictional characters which captivate my imagination so well!!! and also the fantastic fans which urged me to get up this sequel. You are all fantastic!

The sound of the roaring waves trouncing the cliff face was exhilarating.

Draco Malfoy closed his eyes and breathed in the sea salt.

'This is freedom... This. Is. Bliss.' He thought.

Two arms encircled him from behind. They were tender and warm as the figure pressed themselves fully into his back. Draco smiled into the wind as he opened his eyes and gazed out at the vast blue expanse of water in front of him, the sun lazily twinkling off its surface.

Draco turned and stared into two brilliant orbs of russet brown. She smiled cheekily.

"C'mon lets go swimming." She exclaimed and left a small kiss on his lips before turning and fleeing down the grassy knoll shoeless.

Draco grinned and chased after her. Her long chocolate locks and flowing white top fluttered with the breeze in unison, as she carefully weaved her way down onto the isolated beach.

Hermione Granger felt the sand between her toes and flew her arms wide. Grinning towards the sky and twirling in circles. She heard Draco chuckle behind her as he broke onto the beach. Hermione ran towards the water and splashed in the salty waves.

"Hermione you are crazy!" He said as he neared the waters edge.

"Get in here you pompous arse! Worried you'll ruin your expense trousers?" She said slyly.

"Well as a matter of fact yes that is exactly what I'm worried about!" He said haughtily.

Hermione let out an exasperated groan and ran out of the white wash towards him.

She grinned wildly as she leapt onto him sending him stumbling backwards as he caught her in his arms.

"Now you are all wet so I don't see why you can't come in? The water is lovely…" She said cheekily.

Draco looked at the woman in his arms. Stray wet tendrils stuck to her glowing features and he felt the familiar pounding of his heart against his chest. She pulled away and grasped him by the hand pulling him into the water with her.

"Hermione! Hey this is so not fair!" He said as he was being dragged in with a ridiculous grin plastered on his face.

"Oh come on! If you didn't want to come in I'm sure you could over power me Mr. Malfoy and you wouldn't be grinning like a lunatic either!" She yelled over the wind and the waves.

Draco pouted as a wave engulfed him from waist down. Hermione broke into a fit of giggles and Draco couldn't resist joining her. She was contagious.

He took her in his arms amidst their laughter and swiftly brought his lips down to hers. Hermione felt alive at the touch of his soft lips upon hers. She brought a hand up to his pallid face which dripped with the salty water of the ocean.

They sunk shoulder deep into the water as they kissed feverishly, Hermione with her legs wrapped around Draco's waist as he held her in his arms.

Suddenly they felt the watery swell of a wave sweep over them and they were engulfed by its merciless hold. They came up gasping for air as the wave continued past the two lovers and faltered into nothing but white foam on the sandy shore.

Panting, Draco carried Hermione from the water and up onto the sand. Hermione giggled saying she could walk up there herself, but Draco refused to put her down. Hermione gave in and melted into his chest.

He carried her across the soft sand and up the grassy hill which separated Shell Cottage from their secluded beach.

Bill and Fleur were staying with the Weasley's and had offered Draco and Hermione the chance to relax with some peace and quiet in the form of their cottage for the remainder of the summer break.

Draco reached the cottage and fumbled with the door handle as Hermione let out an impatient groan and attempted to slide out of his arms.

"Hermione stop trying to wriggle away!" He said as he walked into the entrance hall.

"It would be so much easier if I just …" She was cut off by Draco.

"I'm trying to be romantic Granger for Merlin's sake!"

"Fine! Oh sweet Prince Charming, sweep me away into your castle chambers and make love to thy sweet helpless fair maiden!" She giggled.

Draco dropped her onto the couch and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Please don't tease me Granger your jokes really are shocking."

Hermione began to blush a little as she looked up into his swirling pools of grey.

"Who said I was joking?" She said shyly.

"Well… weren't you?" He said unsure.

Hermione shook her head no, slowly not losing eye contact with the ashen-haired man in front of her.

Draco felt an overwhelming head spin at the thought. Hermione and Draco were yet to make love. He had never pressured her as he knew she was still a virgin and he would simply have to wait until she was ready.

He of course was far past his virginity days, having had many a girl throw themselves on him in which he willingly accepted their advances and shagged them senseless in his Slytherin dormitory.

But none of them had ever meant anything. Never had he been nervous. And as he once again swept Hermione up in his arms and lead her upstairs to the bedroom he felt as if his lungs would collapse. This time it meant something to him. This time he wasn't just shagging a horny teenage girl. This time he was making love to the woman he loved.

He laid the drenched Hermione down onto the duvet and leaned in over her, Salty water dripping off him onto her bodice and mingled with hers. Her white flowing top clung to her perfect mounds in a way which left Draco no resistance to the need to cup one in his hand where it seemed to fit perfectly.

Hermione held Draco's gaze the whole time as he leaned up and brought her to a sitting position as he knelt in front of her on the bed. Her eyes were full of warmth which made Draco more comfortable, knowing she was doing this because she wanted to and not simply for him.

She slowly undid the buttons on his dark blue oxford and slid her hands down his toned arms as the shirt fell behind. His chest glistened with the water of the salty ocean and Hermione traced her arms up his defined muscular back.

They leant in with their foreheads touching, water droplets pooling between them. Draco reached his hands beneath Hermione's shirt and began to slide the gauzy material up revealing her wet abdomen which shuddered at his soft touch. Hermione held her arms above her head as Draco pulled the shirt over and dropped it behind her on the duvet. Slowly and deliberately they removed every article of clothing as Draco leaned in and captured her mouth with his yearning kisses.

The act was unhurried. They were in no rush to meet any final destination, but simply savour every moment; every bead of sweat mixed with salty ocean droplets, every soft, sweet touch mixed with the passionate thrusts of longing, every gasp of pleasure which was drenched deep from within the heart and spilled out into their love making.

Draco placed a kiss on Hermione's forehead and fell quivering beside her. He entwined his fingers with hers as she turned on her side to face the one and only person in the universe who could capture her yet leave her liberated all in the same instance.

It hadn't hurt. Draco did it with such grace and softness, yet at the same time a passionate and fiery hunger that she had never experienced. She reached up and traced her spare hand across his pale, chiselled jaw. It was drenched with a mixture of the sea water and sweat.

Any doubts she ever had about his feelings were banished with their consummation. They hadn't simply made love, they had poured every drop of lust and love and passion into it to show each other how much they meant to each other. And it was ecstasy.

"I will love you forever Hermione, you know that right?" He said softly.

Hermione closed her eyes and snuggled up against his chest. Draco instinctively wrapped a protective arm around her body trailing over her curves.

"Yes." She whispered.

They fell asleep in the bed drenched with the water from the ocean they had brought with them, yet not caring in the slightest.

A/N: First chappy? It doesn't rly get far into the story but I felt it was necessary just to show you where Hermione and Draco's relationship was at the moment. Please review and tell me what you thought. ALSO throughout the story i'm hoping to come up with a new title. Your thoughts are welcome if you can think of a suitable one.


	2. Chapter 2

_Rehash: "I will love you forever Hermione, you know that right?" He said softly. _

_Hermione closed her eyes and snuggled up against his chest. Draco instinctively wrapped a protective arm around her body trailing over her curves. _

"_Yes." She whispered._

_They fell asleep in the bed drenched with the water from the ocean they had brought with them, yet not caring in the slightest. _

The overcrowded platform 9 ¾ was overwhelming. Hermione and Draco drifted through the excited young wizards and witches who waited eagerly to board the Hogwarts express. They made their way to the teacher's carriage and entered the first empty compartment they found. 

They were on their way back to school, but this year was unlike any others. This year they were returning not as students, but as teachers. Apprentice professors to be exact.

Both had been asked back to be trained in the field so as to take over the vacant positions.

Severus Snape, the ex-potions teacher who was killed at the hand of Voldemort during the battle, had left an empty spot to be filled. Draco was always the outstanding potions student in his grade and had readily accepted the opportunity to follow in his god-father and mentors footsteps.

Hermione of course was taking over transfiguration from Minerva McGonagall who was now very held up as Headmistress and simply could not be expected to continue taking the classes. So Hermione had been offered the job and practically shouted yes before she had even finished being asked.

The school had easily been mended after the battle with many a helping hand from the wizarding community and had opened its doors the next term for its students. Now as Hermione sat in their compartment and listened to the clack of the wheels passing along the tracks she was reminded of her two best friends who she was usually sitting with right now, listening to Ron carry on about his summer holidays and Quidditch and cruddy Christmas sweaters whilst Harry simply sat their laughing.

Harry and Ron, having missed the entire seventh year whilst they crossed the countryside for Horcruxes, had been offered the opportunity to repeat seventh year. Much to their chagrin to have to join the grade which was always below them, they felt they had no choice considering they needed their NEWTS. Harry simply couldn't be accepted into auror training without them, and Ron was still unsure of where he was heading so decided his NEWTS could come in handy when he finally came to a decision.

They were currently sitting somewhere in the student's carriages probably with Ginny and her friends. Ron hated the idea that he was now in the same grade as his little sister but Harry was relishing in the fact that he would be able to spend the year with the only girl who made his ribcage shudder with the almighty thumps his heart gave against it at the mere sight of the little fiery red-head.

Draco watched Hermione intently as she stared out the compartment window obviously in a daze. He rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb as their fingers entwined.

The door suddenly slid open and a man sidled in startling both of them.

He was tall and had thick, windswept ebony hair. His eyes seemed to change colour as the sun which shone through the window glinted off them.

The man extended a hand towards Draco and said "I'm Artemis Lithben."

Something seemed to click into place as he heard the name and realised this was the potions master who would be taking Snape's place until Draco had completed his apprenticeship and could wholly occupy the position.

Draco stood and shook Artemis' hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Professor." He said although quite uncertain.

The man smiled and gave a small chortle when he noticed a discouraging look upon Draco's face.

"Please call me Artemis, you are no longer a student and I am your work colleague which means first name basis…and what's the problem?" He asked as he looked at the obviously disgruntled Draco. "Were you expecting someone else?"

"Well… Yes actually I thought you'd be… old." As Draco said it he felt quite ashamed. The man was obviously only in his thirties, something Draco had not expected from a professor considering most of the Hogwarts professors were beyond ancient.

Artemis simply laughed.

"Well, sorry to disappoint you then." He turned his gaze towards Hermione who was still seated as she watched the two men. He took hold of her hand where he placed a small kiss making Hermione's eyes widen with surprise.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Miss Granger." He said catching her eye with a twinkle and smiling.

Draco felt jealousy devour him inside.

"What happened to work colleagues on a first name basis?" He jeered.

"Well that most certainly does not apply to Miss Granger; after all she is a lady."

Draco forced a brisk smile and kept his jealousy from being visible to the man. He was a Malfoy and as such knew how to keep his exterior seemingly unaffected.

"Well than I simply came to introduce myself, I shall see you when we reach Hogwarts. Until then…" He said tilting his head in a departing gesture and left the compartment.

As soon as he left, Draco's face turned from impassive to livid as he sat down in a huff next to Hermione.

"Did you see that? Who does he bloody well think he is…" He grumbled as he crossed his arms across his chest.

Hermione gave a small laugh at Draco's childish tanty with which he returned an icy glare.

"Oh Malfoy calm down, I only have eyes for you." She said sweetly.

Draco wrapped an arm around her whilst still grumbling to himself.

"I just think he was too forward, see his ruddy twinkling eye it was just so obvious what he was trying to…" Hermione groaned impatiently and Draco let out a defeated sigh.

"Fine." He said placing a kiss on her cheek. Hermione smiled, thankful that he had finally shut up.

"But still…"

"Oh Merlin…" Hermione said closing her eyes and leaning in to his embrace.

.………………………………………………………………………………………… 

"Hermione! Hey! Over here Hermione!!" Ron shouted as he waved his arms manically up at the teachers table. Hermione caught site of the red-head amongst the Gryffindor's and grinned as she waved back.

She watched Harry, Ron and Ginny down at the Gryffindor table as they devoured the beginning of term feast and felt the urge to go sit with them. But remembered she was now a professor… not a student.

My goodness she felt weird saying that. It was painful yet exhilarating to see her best-friends sitting there as student's whilst she sat with the old codgers at the front of the hall. Draco's hand clasped hers briefly underneath the table and Hermione felt better as she gave him a small smile.

"Students! Student's quieten down… Yes, thankyou." The headmistress said as she stood and began to address the hall.

"Now before you go tonight I would like to introduce this year's new professors. We are proud to present two students who graduated only last year, Miss Hermione Granger who shall be the transfiguration professor and Mr Draco Malfoy who shall be taking over the position as Potion's Master…"

The hall broke into applause before McGonagall had time to finish her speech. It was unlikely there was a single student at Hogwarts who didn't know who Hermione and Draco were. Most of them had gone to school with them last year and those who hadn't had heard the story of Voldemort's downfall and the part they had played in it.

After the applause died down the Headmistress continued. "And our stand-in potions professor, Mr Artemis Lithben." She said. Artemis stood from his seat as the crowd erupted in another spout of applause yet not nearly as large as Hermione and Draco received.

"There are many big changes to take place this year, students, and I'm sure they will all be welcomed. This year is a new year. A fresh start for the wizarding world and we wish you all the best. Now if I may ask the house prefects to lead the first years to their dormitories." She said indicating for the prefects to stand. Noise broke out as the first year students stood and were rounded up by the older students and left the great hall.

Eventually the food vanished from the tables and the rest of the students began to vacate the hall. Harry and Ron made their way to the front where Draco and Hermione sat feigning interest to Professor Slughorn's ramblings. Hermione saw them approaching and was thankful for the chance to get away.

"Harry! Ron! It's so great to see you!" She squealed as she stood and took her two friends in a tight embrace. Ginny wasn't with them for as head girl she had to lead the first years towards Gryffindor tower.

"This is so weird Hermione." Ron grinned as he looked Hermione up and down.

"Yeh I feel weird being here and not wearing the Gryffindor uniform." She said glumly.

"Oh well, I'm just glad we can spend this year together… Sort of. Are we allowed to hang with professors?" Ron said thickly.

Hermione laughed at him. "I don't see why not."

"Will we have you for transfiguration?" Ron asked excitedly.

"Well I'll be there, but for the first few weeks Minerva is going to be there to teach me the ropes."

Harry and Ron screwed up their faces.

"Minerva?"

Hermione blushed. "Oh Goodness, Professor McGonagall… I'm supposed to call her Minerva now."

"So… we have to call you Professor Granger in classes?" Harry asked with a hint of amusement in his voice. Hermione smiled.

"Absolutely."

Ron snorted.

"Will we be having you for Potions, Malfoy?" Harry asked.

Draco had been sitting at the table waiting for a chance to escape Slughorn's hodgepodge as Hermione had and was relieved when he was brought into the conversation. Quickly he stood and excused himself from Slughorn.

"Like Hermione… I'll be there, but I'm just learning the ropes so Lithben is going to be doing most of the teaching." As he said the last part his voice filled with spite which didn't go unnoticed by Harry and Ron. They looked at Hermione puzzled hoping she could give an explanation but she simply gave them a weak smile as if to say 'leave it alone.'

They shrugged.

"Okay then. We should get to bed." Harry said stifling a yawn.

"Did you hear me and Harry have our own separate quarters from Gryffindor tower? It's right next to the one the head students have." Ron said animatedly.

Hermione nodded. "Yes I did hear that. I bet you're happy about that Harry?" She said grinning.

Ginny happened to have been made head girl.

Harry blushed slightly which was hardly attractive on a grown man.

"Alright then. Night Professor Granger." Ron said cheekily.

Harry and Hermione laughed at him.

"Yeh night Professor and you Professor Malfoy." Harry said raising an eyebrow. The two boys walked away leaving Hermione and Draco alone in the hall, as Slughorn had long given up in picking up his conversation with them.

They stood in silence, staring up at the enchanted ceiling which reflected the perfect, starry night sky of deep velvety blue.

Draco's hand snaked down Hermione's arm and he took her hand in his.

She sighed.

"I'm nervous Draco." She said softly

Draco pulled her in closer and she clung to the fabric of his robe.

"Me too... but we can do this Granger. You of all people can do this. You were made for this. Hasn't it been your lifelong ambition to boss people around, letting them know how much smarter you are than them? Because as a professor that is exactly what… hey! Ouch that hurt!" He chuckled as he rubbed the place on his chest where she had hit him hard.

"C'mon _Professor_ Malfoy." She said snidely. "Lets go to bed. I am totally knackered and these nerves are going to get the better of me." She said.

They walked in silence up to the teacher quarters where they parted ways to go to there separate quarters.

"Goodnight Hermione." He said softly, placing a chaste kiss upon her lips which she returned.

They stood before their separate portraits, muttered their passwords and entered, both taking one last look at the other before unconsciously synchronising the close of their portraits.

No more than five seconds later both portraits swung open hurriedly and they stumbled back out into the hallway and rushed into each others arms.

Hermione captured Draco's lips hungrily and he sucked and teased her bottom lip.

"Can you sleep in my room just for tonight?" Hermione asked cautiously.

Draco grinned. "I would love to." He said. Draco pulled his portrait of an old English countryside closed and they entered Hermione's room pulling the picture shut with a click.

Mere seconds later there was another click as the English countryside swung forward and a pair of Black, shiny heeled shoes clacked onto the stone floor of the corridor. With an indignant 'Harrumph', the owner of the heels slunk out of the corridor and into a main hallway of Hogwarts leaving a cold distilled air in her place, and the waft of overly strong, expensive vanilla essence.

A/N: Okay, wasn't too happy with this chapter but it was an introduction to a new IMPORTANT character as well as how things were gunna be this year. Please tell me what you think and if you thought it shud have been written differently n have any ideas i would love to know because I will happily go back and improve it.


	3. Chapter 3

_Rehash: Mere seconds later there was another click as the English countryside swung forward and a pair of Black, shiny heeled shoes clacked onto the stone floor of the corridor. With an indignant 'Harrumph', the owner of the heels slunk out of the corridor and into a main hallway of Hogwarts leaving a cold distilled air in her place, and the waft of overly strong, expensive vanilla essence. _

Chapter three

The seventh year Slytherin's and Gryffindor's piled into the potions classroom and awaited the arrival of Professor Lithben and, as much as it pained Ron and Harry to say, Professor Malfoy.

They both sat at the front of the classroom and even though they could not see behind them, they could feel the gaze of the rest of the class as if it burned into them.

"This is ruddy embarrassing Harry." Ron mumbled as he pulled out his quill and a role of parchment. Harry nodded and glanced over to the neighbouring table where a certain red-headed girl was hurriedly casting her glance elsewhere.

The dungeon door opened and Draco entered the classroom. Noise ceased as he made his way to the front. 'C'mon Draco, you're a Malfoy. Do not falter.' He said to himself.

"Professor Lithben has alerted me that he shall be arriving late this morning and I shall be proceeding on with your first advance potions class." He said coolly.

How did he get stuck with advanced potions as his first lesson? Where was Lithben anyway? He thought to himself.

"You're not even a qualified teacher yet how can you expect us to believe you are adequate to be teaching **us **advanced potions!?" A young Gryffindor boy called out.

There was silence. What was he supposed to say? The boy was right; he had never taught this subject. Wait! Malfoy's do not doubt their ability! Apart from rare occurrences such as Granger they are the best of the best! Draco assured himself.

"Alright then. Balcott right? I remember you." Draco said as he strode towards the boy, acting the superior Slytherin he had always been.

"Harley Balcott." The boy replied shortly.

Draco smirked.

"Balcott. Let us test my adequacy shall we?"

The boy looked at him puzzled.

Draco strode back towards the front of the classroom.

"Potter and Arlington out here please." He said as he reached into a draw of the desk and retrieved a large dusty tome.

Harry groaned, but nevertheless, the Slytherin and Harry made there way to the front of the classroom.

"You shall act as our judges. This book will be used to retrieve any questions you can throw at us. It contains everything you shall ever study about potions in your Hogwarts lifetime. Let's have our selves a little competition shall we?" He gave his infamous smirk and with a flick of his wand the chalk began to scribe on the board.

Two columns appeared. One labelled seventh years, the other Professor Malfoy. Draco rather liked the idea of writing that, but more than anything, he **loved** a competition.

"Alright, anyone who doubts I can teach you something, make a line." He said and gestured for the students to move. They all quickly rose and formed a line which snaked around the outside of the room and ended out the front next to Draco. The only students who chose not to join were Ginny and Ron. Both of who knew Draco well enough to realise he was capable. Ron simply dug his head between his crossed arms muttering incoherent thoughts to do with Malfoy being a pompous ferret.

"Balcott, you first." He snapped.

Harley Balcott did not falter beneath his gaze as he strode towards the front of the line; after all he was a courageous Gryffindor… This only amplified Draco's enjoyment, knowing he was soon to break him along with rest of this untrusting class.

"First to answer stays in. You lose you're out. If you win I promise to refrain from teaching you anything until I gain full professorship… and if I win?" He said slyly.

"Fifty points from Gryffindor for Balcott's outburst, and 20 from Slytherin for regarding your own ex-slytherin incompetent." He snarled. "And I shall command respect."

He gave the nod to Maggie Arlington and Harry, who had situated themselves in front of the competitors and stood anxiously waiting with the book opened before them.

"Hit us with your hardest." He said arrogantly.

"Name the ingredients of an Abbutation potion." Harry said.

Draco stood silent wearing nothing but a smile. Harley's brows were furrowed as he tried desperately to recall the ingredients.

"Wait… We haven't even learnt that yet that's not fair!" He finally pronounced.

"Oh really? Haven't learnt that yet how odd?" Draco said before turning back to the judges.

"Mandrakes root, Anagin's blood, Distilled moon water and three spines from a Cundare Urchin." He said proudly.

Harvey screwed up his face and made his way back to his seat in which he threw himself into most ungracefully and sulked mumbling about shoving Cundare Urchin spines up some ones somewhere…

"Next question please, and try for something at least a touch harder." Draco said boredly as he looked at his manicured finger nails.

Harry smirked. What were these arrogant seventh years thinking competing against the KING of arrogance? They were all going down.

………………………………………………………………………………………….

Meanwhile…

Hermione worked her way around the transfiguration classroom instructing the little first years how to levitate their feathers. Professor McGonagall stood at the front of the room simply observing.

Hermione crossed a table where a small dark haired girl was attempting to levitate her feather but to no avail; it simply would not remove itself from its position upon the desk.

"Ah no, no, no let me help you there." Hermione said kindly after watching her for a minute. "It's win-gardium Levi-oh-sah, not win-gardium levio-sahhh." **(A/N: I know that's not the correct spelling but I was going for pronunciation ok?)** She said. The girl smiled appreciatively and tried again, this time managing to get the feather to hover above the desk for a few seconds before she cried out in glee and lost concentration leaving the feather to float back towards the bench top.

Professor McGonagall chuckled as she recalled Hermione's first transfiguration lesson and over-hearing her relay the same advice to Ronald Weasley.

The bell let out a loud ring and the students piled up their belongings and bustled out of the room. A grinning Hermione made her way over to the Headmistress and asked.

"How did I do?"

"Very well dear! I never doubted for a second that you couldn't do this by yourself, unfortunately ministry regulation is that until you retain full professorship your progress be monitored." She said placing a re assuring hand on her shoulder.

"You always were the outstanding student, ever since your first day."

Hermione smiled appreciatively at her kind words.

"Well you always were my favourite professor, ever since the first day."

McGonagall smiled and they made their way to the great hall.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

Draco sat amidst the teachers at the front of the hall enjoying a sandwich when Hermione came and joined him.

"How was the first years?" He asked as she placed a giddy kiss upon his cheek.

"Little angels." She gushed as she filtered threw the variety of sandwiches until she found one she wanted.

"And the seventh years?" She asked.

"Absolute Devils." He smirked.

Hermione laughed as they looked out upon the house tables where Draco Malfoy seemed to be the main conversation topic.

"Draco why are they talking about you?" Hermione said suspiciously.

"Well because of my devilishly good looks of course." He replied in a serious tone.

Hermione snorted. "Of course that's what all those little queer Slytherin boys are talking about." She said slyly.

"Oh well, they are the exception, they happen to be talking about my victorious elimination of the entire seventh year advanced potions class." He said proudly.

"Oh really? How so?" She said amused.

"Well they dared to take me on and question my ability, I simply had no choice but to break them." He grinned.

"Oh Merlin, you are such a slytherin. Everything is a competition." She said shaking her head.

"Well of course it is Granger, you of all people are aware of that." He said eyeing her, pleased with his comeback.

Hermione gave him a shocked expression in reply.

"You know I'm right, You are the most competitive witch I've ever met." He said before taking another bite of his sandwich.

Hermione simmered in her seat. Damn Malfoy, of course he was right.

"Well Artemis really shouldn't have let you get away with that." Was all she said.

"Well _Artemis_ wasn't there. Said he'd be late and then never turned up." Draco said matter-of-factly.

"Where could he have been?" Hermione thought out loud before looking down the table and realising he wasn't there.

Draco simply shrugged absent mindedly and took a gulp of pumpkin juice.

The wheels in Hermione's head were spinning almost out of control with possibilities of where he could have been before she aborted the mystery as many an outlandish idea made its way into her head.

Little did she know that had she continued creating bizarre situations in her head of the Professors where-abouts, she very well may have discovered the solution…


	4. Chapter 4

_Rehash: "Where could he have been?" Hermione thought out loud before looking down the table and realising he wasn't there. _

_Draco simply shrugged absent mindedly and took a gulp of pumpkin juice. _

_The wheels in Hermione's head were spinning almost out of control with possibilities of where he could have been before she aborted the mystery as many an outlandish idea made its way into her head. _

_Little did she know that had she continued creating bizarre situations in her head of the Professors where-abouts, she very well may have discovered the solution…_

…………………………………………………………………………………………

Chapter Four

Every muscle in his body was screaming.

Every bone in his body was quaking.

Every nerve in his body was on fire.

He collapsed on the floorshaking in a cold sweat.

'Please, when will this stop?' He thought in one of the few short moments when he was in control.

The familiar feeling of being ripped limb from limb took hold of his body as she tore away and the more she broke apart the more control he had.

He let out one last strangled cry as she ripped herself away and landed beside him gracefully.

"Come now it wasn't that terrible brother." She drawled as she paced around the room.

He simply laid quivering and panting on the ground, his eyes trailing after his sister.

"There must be another way Andromeda. I cannot continue with this." He said shakily as he got up on his hands and knees.

Her head snapped back and her curtains of long black hair flicked viciously across her face.

"There is no other way brother and you know it!" She seethed as she quickly leapt across the room and stood over him.

He stayed silent for a moment and she began to walk away towards the door to venture into the bathroom.

"Is it worth it sister?" He mirthed.

She snarled.

"Of course it is worth it. You want her don't you? Don't you!?" She said her voice increasing in volume with every word.

He nodded slowly as his expression twisted into that of emotional agony.

"But I don't want to hurt her. I don't want to hurt anybody Andromeda; please there must be another way."

"No! There is no other way! This is for you just as much as it is me brother!" She spat across the room. "You will thank me." She said softening her voice.

He sat still, staring at the patterns on the elaborate rug.

With one last indignant snort she stalked out of the room leaving behind the pungent aroma of expensive vanilla essence.

………………………………………………………………………………………….

Harry, Ron and Ginny sat chatting amiably beneath a tree in the grounds.

"He's not that bad Ronald." Ginny said boredly.

"Not that bad? As if he didn't think himself superior before! Now he's our ruddy professor! It's like hell Ginny!" He said dramatically as he fell backwards in the grass.

Ginny and Harry exchanged a smirk.

"Well he's no where near as bad as Snape was in the potions classroom, and in case you didn't notice he does go easier on us three." Harry said.

Ron shot up and lent on his hands.

"Yeh but he goes even _easier_ on the slimy Slytherin's."

Harry groaned. "Ron just give it a rest already, we get it, you think Draco is a pompous brat and he is here simply in spite of you and wants to make your life hell."

"Well… Yes of course! I mean isn't it obvious Harry? That's exactly what he's doing. Just getting another boost up his inflated head about how much better he thinks he… Hey who's that?" Ron said losing concentration, as his eyes wandered towards an open window in the castle.

Ginny and Harry turned around and saw a woman leaning out the window watching them. Her shimmering black hair fell like curtains around her pale face. Her robes were a blood red and clung gracefully to her figure.

"What part of the castle is that?" Harry asked, not losing eye contact with the woman.

"I, uh... I'm not sure." Ron said puzzled.

Ginny seemed unfazed by her appearance.

"Oh stop reading too far into this. Maybe she's a new professor, or here on ministry business or something that isn't suspicious as you boys seem to think _everything_ and _everyone _is."

Both boys looked over at Ginny who had her head lent backwards and eyes closed as she bathed her face in the warm sun.

Harry smiled. She looked like an angel as the sun played across her speckled porcelain cheeks.

"Yeh well you can't blame us with our run of luck" Ron said.

"She's probably right though Ron." Harry sighed.

He took one last look up at the window to find the woman had disappeared and decided to forget about it. All the turmoil was over now. Voldemort was gone; the death eaters were locked up or sentenced to the dementor's kiss. Nothing could go wrong anymore…

…………………………………………………………………………………………

Draco entered his quarters late one night to find it reeked of vanilla essence.

"What is that smell Draco!?" Hermione said screwing up her nose.

"I haven't the faintest clue. It's smelt like that a few times actually."

"Must be the house elves. You should go and talk to them, see if you can ask them to tone it down on the deodouriser."

"Stupid house elves. Can't get anything right." He grumbled as he removed his robe and chucked it over the back of the couch.

"Well maybe they didn't have a choice but to use that much to cover your foul stench Malfoy." She said irritated.

Draco was unfazed.

"Me? Of course not I smell like daisies." He said superciliously.

Hermione snorted and he swivelled around and eyed her. She swaggered up until she was inches from his face. Draco closed his eyes and bent in for a kiss only to be greeted by the sound of Hermione taking an almighty sniff.

"No you really do smell foul now go take a shower." She snapped before turning around and collapsing unceremoniously on the couch.

Draco shook his head and made his way to the bathroom, discreetly taking a whiff of himself along the way.

Hermione layresting on the couch when she heard Draco call out from the bathroom.

"I do not smell foul Granger, you probably smelt yourself!"

Hermione simply smiled lazily, and closed her eyes. He was such a git. But he was _her_ git.

A/N: Okay. a bit of a fill in chapter i guess. but i thuoght it had abit of cuteness in there at the end and some intrigue at the beginning... **who do u think andromeda is? What does she want?**

Anyone had an idea fora **title **yet? If so i would love for you to let me know!!!!! All credit would go to you if you come up with a good one.

**Next chapter** is one of my favourites. But after that the mystery will progress and you'll find out a bit more... Things are gonna get a-bit-sticky...

Please review and tell me what you think so far, what you **think** will happen, what you **want** to happen and what it should be called!!

Love you all. xoxo Lana-Brooke.


	5. Chapter 5

_Rehash: Hermione lay snoozing on the couch when she heard Draco call out from the bathroom. _

"_I do not smell foul Granger, you probably smelt yourself!" _

_Hermione simply smiled lazily, and closed her eyes. He was such a git. But he was her git. _

Chapter five.

The hot water pelting against Hermione's bare back was tantalising and relaxing. She stood beneath the shower rose and let the hot water wash over her not paying attention when the door creaked and somebody entered the bathroom. 

They had been teaching for nearly a few weeks contently with never a mishap apart from Professor Lithben's failure to make it to class which were becoming more and more frequent. Of course Draco rarely minded as this gave him full reign over his classes,a circumstance in which he found most pleasing.

The intruder removed their attire and crept over to the shower curtain. 

Hermione stood with her eyes closed towards the water, pouring over her thoughts like the water poured over her, when she felt a pair of strong hands begin to lather her back with shower milk. 

She leaned into the man's arms and leaned her head back, placing a small loving kiss upon his lips. 

Everything was so… perfect. So perfectly normal and natural that Hermione was almost suspect of her life in present. 

Ever since she had discovered she was a witch there had always been a dilemna which needed to be tackled. 

But now with Voldemort out of the picture things fell so smoothly into place that she often found herself questioning how anything could ever be so simple and precious.

Draco and Hermione stood beneath the hot stream in silence savouring the moment before Hermione spoke. 

"I think it's ridiculous we aren't allowed to stay in the same apartment." Hermione said grumpily.

"I know." Draco sighed. "But I can understand where she's coming from. If we all shared, I'd hate to imagine what those old codgers would get up to in the night if the opportunity was there." Draco and Hermione both cringed.  
"Yes but it's different for us! We are a couple I think we should be allowed joint quarters even if we aren't married or even engaged." 

Their was small pause before Draco said, 

"Well, what if we were? Let's get married so we can share." He said wrapping his arms tighter around her.

Hermione froze and quickly swivelled around in his arms to be facing him.

"Are… Are you serious?" She choked out. 

Draco blushed slightly. 

"Only… If you want to… If, If you're not ready it's okay I just…" He was cut off by Hermione.

"Oh DracoNO what are you thinking? How could you possibly ask me that?" She said which made Draco's heart plummet. 

Hermione saw the heartbroken look on his face and laughed. 

"Oh sweetie I meant you can't ask me here! In the shower! Nude! I mean, how am I supposed to relay the story when people ask?Oh we were in the shower naked and he suggested we get married so we could sleep in the same room at Hogwarts… That's a ridiculous way to say you proposed I mean really!" She said in one breath. 

Draco cottoned on to her reasoning and grinned. 

He quickly picked her up and stepped out of the shower making Hermione let a small yelp of surprise. He grabbed his wand off the bathroom vanity and pointed it at his pile of clothes on the floor, which with a swish of his wand appeared upon him. 

He hurried out of the bathroom and into Hermione's bedroom where he flicked his wand at her wardrobe where an array of clothes hung. Quickly he picked out random garments which magically appeared upon her making Hermione laugh. 

"Oh Draco I look ridiculous!" She said looking down at the clothing he had picked out. 

She was wearing a white and purple striped scarf and a chocolate mink sweater as well as a pair of baggy grey track pants half tucked into a long pair of woolly, stripy socks. He had then topped off the outfit with a green fuzzy beanie.

Draco shushed her with all seriousness and raced out of the bedroom into Hermione's living room and placed her in front of the fireplace. With another swish of his wand the fireplace lit up and the flames began to crackle. 

"Draco it's not even cold!" She sniggered.

"Shh Granger!" He said

He held her softly by the shoulders as he stared into her brown chocolate eyes which were wide with amazement, than slowly slid his way towards the ground onto one knee and grasping Hermione's hand in his. 

He reached into the pocket of his trousers and pulled out a small grey box which he had at that moment conjured from his own teacher's quarters. 

He had purchased it a few weeks prior, certain that he would ask her eventually and when the time came he would have the ring there. 

Inside on a bed of silk lay an elegant gold band which was encrusted with an emerald, and surrounded by deep glistening rubies. The stones weren't large as Draco felt Hermione wouldn't appreciate something of size, and rather something symbolic. The Slytherin green and Gryffindor red merged together in a gold band was an obvious symbol for even the thickest of wizards to understand.

Hermione lost her breath at the site of it. 

"Now can I say it?" He said softly. 

Hermione was reminded of the Christmas morning after the battle when he asked if he could tell her he loved her and felt her eyes glaze over in her elation. It was almost a year since she had found him in that field and now here he was, kneeling before her, asking… if he could_ ask_ to marry her. Hermione smiled and gave one quick nod. 

"Draco gave an uplifting smile back before saying softly, 

"Hermione will you marry me?"

Hermione felt as if her heart lunged towards him even before she did. She threw herself into his arms in front of the fire. 

"Oh Merlin Draco, Yes, Yes of course I will bloody marry you!" She gasped out and giggled. 

Draco buried his face in her soft chocolate locks and wrapped his arms around her tightly. She seemed to fit against him perfectly, and Draco wished for her never to break away from him again. 

"I love you." He said so softly that anyone else wouldn't have heard him. But Hermione made out his voice beneath her locks. 

"I love you too." She whispered back. 

…………………………………………………………………………………………

A/N: Okay so everything is going perfect for them now... right? Now that I've concreted the story, the next chapteris going to propel it forward and the bliss of the characters is going to be swept up and thrown out into the cold with the oncoming whirlwind of dilhemna. 

Please review and tell me what you thought ofDraco's proposal. Too Corny? Well to quotemy favourite chickflick of all time "I'm looking for corny in my life." Iris Simkins (The Holiday)

Love you all. xoxo Lana-Brooke


	6. Chapter 6

_Rehash: "I love you." He said so softly that anyone else wouldn't have heard him. But Hermione made out his voice beneath her locks. _

"_I love you too." She whispered back_. 

…………………………………………………………………………………………

Chapter six.

The moon spilled through the windowpane and pooled upon the large four poster bed which resided in an elegant room. The crisp red sheets swathed two figures intertwined in their slumber. Hermione's soft brown hair sprawled across the pillow cases as Draco buried his head deep within its warmth. 

His dreams consisted of his students writing lines, Victory for Slytherin against Gryffindor in quidditch and, more than anything, Hermione. 

Hermione's usually consisted of books, winning the Merlins Outstanding Performance Prize and more than anything, Draco. Although tonight her dreams began the same as they did most every night, they slowly morphed into something different…

_Hermione stood at the front of the Transfiguration classroom awaiting the arrival of her next class. _

_Footsteps sounded behind her and she turned to find a very handsome, familiar man swaggering up the walkway between the rows of desks. He through her a lopsided smile before flicking his wand and sending the door flying shut. _

_Hermione giggled. _

"_Draco honey not here." She said slapping his arm away playfully. _

_He ignored her and brought his lips to her tender neck making her seemingly melt into his body. _

"_Oh Draco." She gasped out as he bit down gently. _

_Suddenly her lover stopped and looked up into her eyes with a puzzled look upon his face. _

_The piercing silver-eyes she was so used to seeing were not there, and instead shining sapphire blue's glinted back warmly. _

"_I am not Draco, Hermione." He said softly. _

_Hermione pushed him away and looked around puzzled. _

"_Where is he?" _

_The man pulled her back and tilted her head up to stare once again into his warm sapphire orbs. _

"_What do you want him for anyway?" _

"_Because I love him, he's my fiancé..." _

"_No. No he's not Hermione." _

_Hermione froze. What is he talking about? Yes he is… isn't he? _

"_He betrayed you Hermione." He said before fixing his eyes on a place behind her. _

_She spun around to see where he was looking at and there before her was Draco. He had another woman pressed up against the wall. Her silky, ebony hair draping elegantly across her naked curves, as he thrust into her roughly eliciting lust filled moans. _

"_Draco NO!" Hermione screamed as she began to back away towards the door. Draco seemed unfazed as he continuously thrust into the woman, the chalkboard in which they leant against shuddering. His breaths became ragged as he growled and she began to cry out his name. _

_Hermione let out a cry and turned and fled. She ripped the door open and appeared in blackness. Soon the image of a cold, dank chamberresolved before her as she stepped in trembling. She traced the walls with her eyes before she came upon yet another horror. _

_Harry Potter's body hung limp on the wall by chains. _

"_Harry!" She cried as she ran towards him, yet it seemed that as hard as she tried to reach him the chamber seemed to grow in length with every step, dragging Harry further and further out of her grasp. _

_She watched as Draco strolled passed her, wand in hand towards him, overtaking the struggling Hermione as she fell to her hands and needs, clawing at the chamber floor in a desperate attempt to move forwards. _

_Draco stopped before Harry and turned towards Hermione. His infamous smirk was plastered upon his face and his eyes seemed to grow dark and dangerous as he stood there clutching his wand till his knuckles went white. _

"_Please, Draco why are you doing this?" She pleaded. _

"_I used you Granger. You are nothing to me. You never were, and you never will be." He spat. _

_He turned towards the boy-who-lived-only to die at the hand of Malfoy and thrust his wand up beneath his chin. _

"_Avarda Kedavra!" He hissed and a burst of green light shot through Harry. He seemed to come alive with the strength of the spell only to fall limp once again, all breath of life sucked from within. _

_Hermione tried to scream but found herself rendered hoarse. _

_Draco strided across the room and stopped before her. She looked up at him. Her eyes armed with a sinister glare. _

"_He was right, I betrayed you." He said coldly. _

_Hermione tried to let out a choked cry yet no sound came out, yet her body gave an almighty heave. _

"_Mudblood." He hissed and spat upon her. _

_All of a sudden Hermione's restraints seemed to fall away as her voice broke through with an angsty cry. She was propelled forward and latched herself onto Draco who's eyes seemed to bulge with fright. _

_Hermione wrapped her hands tightly around his neck and squeezed tightly. _

"_Her-mi-mione.." He whispered out as he struggled to remove her stronghold. _

_His face began to grow blue from lack of oxygen as Hermione bore down upon him sending him crumpling to the ground. _

"_Yes that's it. Twist it, send him to hell Hermione. Just a bit more. A bit tighter." Hissed a voice from over Hermione's shoulder. Without loosening her grip Hermione swivelled around to find the woman with Ebony black hair standing behind her eyes wide with eagerness. _

_Realization dawned on Hermione and when she looked back at Draco she found herself upon her bed in her quarters with an unconscious Draco limp beneath her grasp. _

Hermione screamed and scrambled backwards. She looked over her shoulder and found no woman, no chamber, no Harry… only her teachers quarters. 

Gasping for air Hermione turned back to Draco who lay unconscious and breathless before her. 

"No," She breathed out. 

"No!" She plunged forward and leant over his lifeless body. His bare chest was unmoving and Hermione pulled his body into her arms. 

"Draco, Draco please wake-up!" She said desperately. Tears began to roll down her cheeks as the full extent of the situation dawned on her. 

"Help!" She screamed. "Somebody help!" 

"Breathe Draco please breathe." She whispered as she stroked his silvery-blonde hair. 

The door burst open and a man with windswept black hair burst through wrapped in a black fluffy nightgown. 

He looked at the scene before him. 

"Miss Granger?" He said in a panic. 

Her eyes darted towards the man and locked upon his warm, sapphire blue orbs. 

"Artemis! Help! Please help me, I'm so sorry, I didn't know I was doing it I swear." She choked out amongst her tears as she rocked Draco's body. 

"Oh Merlin." He breathed and raced towards the bed. 

Hermione let go of Draco and began to ease back away from him, crawling up into a ball at the foot of the bed and sobbing. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." She said softly. 

Artemis worked quickly, muttering healing spellson his collapsed windpipe. 

"What on earth!" Came a high shriek as Professor McGonagall came hurriedly into the room. 

"Minerva get Madame Pomphrey down here!" Artemis shouted over his shoulder. 

She looked at the distraught Hermione at the foot of the bed and gave a shaky nod before sending out a patronus to Madame Pomphrey. A silver cat bounded from the tip of her wand and fled out of the room. 

"Hermione dear what happened." She said as she knelt down beside the bed before casting a worried glance at the still blue Draco. 

"I-I- I don't know!" She choked out.

"I w-was h-having this dream an-and D-Draco k-killed H-Harry and I-I." She let out another heavy sob. 

"There w-was a w-woman m-making me do i-it. Urg-ging m-me to k-kill D-Draco." Hermione managed before breaking down entirely. Due to this she missed when Artemis suddenly froze and his breath hitched. 

Madame Pomphrey came bustling into the room in a nightgown. A leather bag beneath her arm and wand in hand. 

"Out of the way, out of the way." She yelled. 

Artemis stepped back relieved and Minerva led Hermione to a chair in the corner of the room. 

"It's my f-fault." She sobbed. 

"Sshh dear it's not your fault." Minerva hushed and she stroked her back soothingly. 

Artemis stood anxiously near the door.

The room was silent apart from Hermione's sobs and Poppy's mumbling of healing spells and babble of potions under her breath. 

All of a sudden Draco gave an almighty gasp for air as his eyes shot open. 

Madame Pomphrey withstrained him and soothed him as he attempted to intake enough air without hyperventilating. She handed him one last potion which he down in one and he began to return to normal colour, although slightly paler. 

"H-Herm-mione." He gasped out, still a little short on breath. 

Madame Pomphrey moved aside, giving him view of the brown haired witch who sat shaking in a chair with Professor McGonagall. 

"Oh thank goodness you're alright Draco." Minerva gushed as she sped to his bedside. 

Artemis gave one last sideways glance at Hermione before silently leaving the room. 

"What happened?" Asked Poppy. 

Draco didn't answer, he simply attempted to get out of the bed. 

"H-Herm-mione." He said again, his voice gravelly. 

"No get back in the bed!" Poppy tried but he pushed her off and went shakily yet quickly to Hermione, collapsing at the foot of her chair. She kept her head hung low as tears racked her body continuously. 

"Are you okay? Hermione?" He asked and attempted to catch a glimpse of her face beneath her hair which shielded her tears. 

"I'm sorry." She blubbered out. 

"Oh Hermione." He breathed out and pulled her into his arms. 

She collapsed on the ground in his arms and wept louder. 

"How could you forgive me?" She blubbered out. 

"Because I love you and I know you didn't mean to honey." 

"I didn't! I didn't mean to I didn't know, I thought you killed him I thought you screwed her I didn't." She gasped out. 

"Shh it's okay just calm down and tell me what happened." He said soothingly. 

They both sat cradling each other on the floor. 

"Mr Malfoy I would prefer it if you would please get back on the.."

"Shh." He hissed viciously. Madame Pomphrey let out a grunt. 

"Perhaps we should wait in the living room Poppy." Said Minerva before they both made there way out leaving Hermione and Draco alone in the bedroom. 

Hermione regained her breath and her tears stopped and she began to retell her dream to Draco. Draco held her comfortingly through the whole thing. 

He had awoken to her screams and found he was unable to wake her. He began to stress when all of a sudden she snapped and pounced upon him and wrapped her arms around his neck, still obviously dreaming and he felt so scared. Not for himself but for her. What was she going through right now? 

After the story Draco lifted her head and placed a kiss upon her forehead. 

"It's okay Hermione. We'll figure it out, there must be some cause." 

"But what if I do it again! What if next time you don't start breathing again, what if no-ones around to bring you back to life, what if I don't wake-up next time and I kill someone else too!" She cried out desperately. 

"You won't do It again I promise you! There must be some cause and we will fix it and you will be fine. We will be fine." He reassured her. 

Hermione nodded and intertwined there fingers. 

"I love you. I always will no matter what. I would never do anything like that to you okay? I will never betray you I promise."

"I know you wouldn't." She breathed out, wiping her tears with the back of her free hand. 

"I love you too." She said giving him a weak smile which he happily returned.

……………………………………………………………………………………..

Meanwhile… 

"I cannot believe you have done this Andromeda! You said you would leave her alone! You said she had nothing to do with it and you would leave her out of it and you wouldn't hurt her! What did you do Andy you almost killed him tonight?" 

"Almost! Exactly! That's not good enough!" She screeched. "He is supposed to be dead already. So what I went against _your _rules."

"This is enough, I can't take it Andromeda. This was a bad idea." He said shaking his head. 

"Don't you back out you coward." She hissed dangerously. She began to corner him, her eyes dark with the need for bloodshed. 

Artemis kept his gaze on the carpet. 

"Don't you BACK OUT ON ME!" She hissed. 

"I won't sister." He said unconvincingly. 

"She had him pressed up against the wall. Andromeda leant in towards his ear. 

"Do not lie to me." 

"I'm not, I-I won't back out I promise." He said, sweat dripping from his temple. 

Andromeda pushed away. 

"Good." And with that she turned and strode out of the room. 

Artemis who was still pinned to the wall slid down the floor with his head in his hands. 

He had only one thought… 

'How can I help them?'

A/N: Okay long chappy I know. But it's your lil easter gift. Double chapters? What more can you ask for. What did you think of this chapter. I wasn't too sure of how it l[payed out but decided to post it anyway and get you opinion. 

PLease review? 

Any ideas fo better titles yet? I still havent got one and I'm desperate for a gooden! So if you think of something which you believe might suit it than PLEASE DO LET ME KNOW! Because I really want reader input on this. 

Thankyou for reading! Happy easter (and for those who dnt celebrate it you got an extra chapter anyway!)

xoxoxo Lana-Brooke


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Okay if you begin to find you do not understand what is happening in this chapter then quickly scroll to the bottom and read my footnote. I tried to have it mysterious yet still make sense but i'm starting to think making sense yet being mysterious just cancels each other out... anyway hope you enjoy!**

_Rehash: "I'm not, I-I won't back out I promise." He said, sweat dripping from his temple. _

_Andromeda pushed away. _

"_Good." And with that she turned and strode out of the room. _

_Artemis who was still pinned to the wall slid down the floor with his head in his hands. _

_He had only one thought… _

'_How can I help them?'_

Chapter seven.

Andromeda Lithben entered the great hall at breakfast and headed towards her seat at the staff table. The overwhelming scent of coffee and bacon and scones hit her nose and she refrained from recoiling. The smell of food was always too overpowering these days.

A student at the Ravenclaw table turned around and hollered "Are you ready for the quidditch game today Professor Lithben? We're going to kick some Slytherin arse!"

Andromeda let out an inward groan at the student's use of language. _He was a Ravenclaw for Merlin's sake didn't he have a more refined vocabulary than 'kick arse?' _

"Yes, yes quite excited Mr Hansen." Was all she said and gave a curt nod before taking her seat at the staff table.

Looking down she noticed that Hermione was not seated yet, and Draco Malfoy sat with a plain expression on his face as he swirled around his eggs on the plate in front of him.

'_Perfect'_ she thought as she stood and strode over to Hermione's vacant seat. Draco looked up and gave a small grunt.

"Morning Artemis." Draco spat.

Andromeda felt the need to reach out and strangle him right then and there but had far too much taste. '_How dare he speak to my brother like that_?' She thought.

"Morning Draco my boy, are you feeling a bit more chipper?" Was what she said instead and hoping that her disdain was hidden.

Draco looked up at the handsome wizard beside him.

"Yes I feel fine." He answered plainly.

"Say, where's Miss Granger this fine morning?" She said inquisitively.

Draco's eyes darkened as he watched Artemis look around the hall in search of Hermione.

"Soon to be Malfoy." He spat. "And she is in the library."

Andromeda chuckled.

"Of course. Where else would that bookworm be on a day when the sun is shining so brilliantly."

_Pfft, soon to be Malfoy. She'll never get the chance boy. _

Draco didn't reply. He simply cast his gaze towards his meal.

"So where do you go?" Draco suddenly said without tearing his gaze from the plate before him.

"Excuse me?" Andromeda stuttered.

"Where do you go, when you are _supposed _to be helping me earn my potions professorship. Where do you go?" Draco said. He looked up and his silver eyes pierced the Sapphire blue's of Artemis who sat frozen in his seat.

Andromeda could feel a faint pushing deep inside her as Artemis tried to surface.

_Don't you dare brother. _

"I, busy. I just get terribly busy." She flustered out without making eye contact.

She could feel Artemis breaking through. _Brother you stop it this instant or else! _She screamed inwardly.

Artemis continued to try and overthrow the stronghold of his sister as she kept control of his body once again.

"You always say that but that isn't an answer to my question. Where do you go Artemis, because considering Hermione's condition I find it very suspicious for you to be continuously dissap…"

"I'm sorry Draco I just remembered I have forgotten something… E-Excuse me." She said before quickly standing and hurrying out of the hall.

She began to race up towards her quarters as she felt her head getting lighter and her thoughts were separated from Artemis's.

"What are you doing?" She seethed.

"Let me OUT Andromeda I am so sick of this." Replied Artemis'.

"Artemis are you… talking to yourself? Who's Andromeda?" Came a suspicious voice that was laced with amusement.

Artemis (or Andromeda, depending on who was winning in the fight for control.) stopped and looked up surprised at Hermione who stood before him with a handful of heavy books.

"I, uh. M-Miss Granger. H-How are you?" Tried Andromeda.

Hermione looked searchingly into his eyes. Something was wrong. Artemis' behaviour since the dream incident had been growing increasingly worrying and being Hermione Granger, she needed to get to the bottom of it.

Andromeda endeavoured not to make eye contact, but as Artemis attempted to overthrow his sister his eyes kept clinging to Hermione's. She watched in fear as his eyes continued to flicker and change.

"Artemis, Artemis what's wrong?" She asked with a slight tremble to her voice.

"Nothing!" Andromeda shouted. Yet only a minute later Artemis broke through.

"Get a-…"

Andromeda took control again. "There. Is. Nothing." Andromeda said fiercely.

Hermione took a step back at the harsh tone emitted from Artemis. He seemed to be struggling with something, but what?

"Away! Draco is…" Artemis tried.

Hermione noticed the change once again as his eyes flickered and the fierce glare was replaced with a scared desperate look.

"In the Hall!" Andromeda said taking control.

"Danger, Hermione you have to…" Artemis managed to blurt out before losing the fight once again.

Hermione's eyes grew wide.

"Artemis what are you talking about? What's wrong!?" She said dropping her books.

"You have to... to cheer in the match today! Slytherin's in danger of losing to Ravenclaw. Draco's house is in… in danger. Of losing in the match." Andromeda said. She plastered a fake smile.

_Don't try that again brother. _She hissed inwardly. Artemis gave up the fight and simply watched as his sister took complete control as usual. How was he ever going to save Hermione and Draco from their ill fate if he wasn't even in control of his own body?

Hermione cast a sceptical look towards Artemis' tall figure. His eyes had stopped flickering dangerously and were now their usual shimmering sapphire selves, smiling back at her.

"Oh... oh of course I will." She said and returned his smile with her own insincere beam.

She watched Artemis give her a single nod and continue down the hall whistling an unfamiliar tune.

Hermione quickly turned and gathered her books before hurrying to the great hall.

Draco looked up from his cold eggs to see Hermione enter the hall with a frazzled look upon her face.

He caught her glistening russet brown orbs and recognised her unsettlement.

Quickly he pushed out of his chair and hurried down the aisle towards her. They met halfway and he grabbed her piled of books, placed one hand on her lower back and began to steer her back towards the entrance.

Hermione eagerly obliged and they hurried out the large heavy doors to the castle and hastily headed down the front steps.

They didn't speak a single word. Draco looked over his shoulder at regular intervals to see if anyone had noticed their quick departure or if whatever had spooked Hermione took any human form in which to follow them.

As soon as they reached the lake Draco dropped Hermione's books and spun her around.

"What happened?" He asked impatiently.

"I, I found something in the library. Something rather horrifying and now I don't know what to do! And the worst part of it all is I think I know just where it came from and…and just now I ran into Artemis and he was acting so strange and… Oh Draco!" She gasped and flung her arms around his neck and began to sob.

Draco stood completely still. He was having a lot of trouble comprehending anything Hermione was saying.

"Hermione can you please speak English. And if that's too hard maybe some French or Italian but this gibberish isn't making an inch of sense to me." He said as he calmingly stroked her back.

Hermione pulled away letting out small controlled sobs and sniffing to stop her now running nose. She reached into her cloak and pulled out a folded piece of parchment.

Looking down sadly at it she fingered it as if hesitant to hand it over before holding it out to him. Draco took the parchment and opened it up.

Hermione watched his eyes as he unfolded the parchment and saw what was printed upon it.

He looked up with obvious pain in his stormy orbs.

"This cannot be real."

**A/N: Okay so if you dont understand this chapter, Andromeda takes possession of Artemis' body. How? Well I dnt tell you in this chapter but you shall find out in one of the following chapters. But even though its her ion control, she appears to everyone as good ol' arty. **

**BUT as you hopefully notice Artemis is trying to surface and push his sister out of his body so he can tell them the truth and thats what all the cafuffle in the hall and that was about. **

**Make sense? I hope sooo. If not please just comment and I'd be happy to rewrite it in a more logical form if you want. Constructive criticism welcome. anything you want to see happen also welcome. any ideas about what you think is happening i would also love to know! basically any feedback coz i know people are reading this from the stats... I just don't know whether or not they're actually liking it... :( **

**I have so many ideas swimming around in my head and am super excited to get to the bottom of the whole mystery for you. OH! And just so you know I am going to tell you Andromeda's story soon so that you know what happened to make her like this, how she's entering Artemis' body and why she has a vendetta against Draco... All to be revealed next chapter folks!! **

**Love you all xoxoxoxoxo LB**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: SUPER SORRY EVERYONE!! I know its taken me ages to update but the net has been down! grrr... but finally here it is; hope you like it. xoxo**

_Rehash: Hermione watched his eyes as he unfolded the parchment and saw what was printed upon it. _

_He looked up with obvious pain in his stormy orbs. _

"_This cannot be real." _

Chapter seven.

Earlier on in the library…

Hermione sat hunched over a large tome; her brows furrowed as her eyes quickly scanned the page before she madly flicked to the next and studied furiously.

It was an early Saturday morning but Hermione would not give up.

She never was one to simply leave things be. She always needed to get to the bottom of things and when things such as eerie as her dream came about she would do anything to find out why it happened.

Already the dream was fading. She could barely remember what the characters looked like for which she was thankful, as it helped to evade the image of Harry's lifeless body and Draco… well… the many things that involved Draco in the dream.

"There has to be something somewhere!" She said exhaustedly.

She flung the book aside and picked up another. She had scanned the entire restricted section for anything which is remotely related to dreams in any way, shape or form.

She broke through the ancient pages and began her usual scan, flip, scan process. What she missed in her determination for answers was the slip of folded parchment which slid from a page within the book and flittered to the ground.

After another half an hour Hermione heard her stomach rumble in distress and Madame Pince gave her a disgraced look.

Hermione had the decency to blush and closed the book with a loud thump before folding her arms and hanging her head on the desk.

She pulled her engagement ring from within her cloak and slid it on her finger. It felt so right to where it but since the incident, Hermione had decided to put off announcing her engagement. Draco hadn't wanted to. He wanted to shout it from the rooftops but Hermione was insistent. She simply did not feel safe around Draco at the moment, for fear of what she would do to him if it happened again. She wanted to get to the bottom of this first, but it began to grow on her how unlikely it was becoming that she would ever find out.

'What if it meant nothing?' Hermione thought. 'What if it was simply due to the excitement of the engagement?'

Hermione sighed and put the ring back within her cloak. Her finger felt bare and cold without its warmth.

She stood up and pushed in her chair. She arranged her heavy books into a stack fit for carrying and picked them up with a loud 'oomph' underneath the weight and was about to waddle out of the library when something caught her eye.

She awkwardly lent over and picked up the parchment and sat it upon her pile of books which she readjusted. The pile came up to just beneath her chin, which she used to lock the books in place as she fumbled with the paper until it folded out.

Upon scanning the parchment briefly Hermione's books went clattering to the floor in which a disgruntled and groggy; from the early hour of disturbance, Madame Pince, let out a high pitched squeal of indignation.

Hermione ignored her and scattered the books until she found the piece of parchment which had fell to the ground as well. Hands trembling, her eyes pierced the words in anticipation, relief, excitement and morbid horror all at once.

_My dearest Andromeda,_

_I hope this letter finds you, the owl did not seem to know at all what it was doing; never having delivered a letter before. _

_I know it has been an eternity since I last saw you and you are all more than likely distraught about my whereabouts. _

_But this letter is more or less goodbye. _

_On that dismal night in which my world was turned on its head I found myself dragged away by loutish, gluttonous men in search of answers._

_They are after the truth Andromeda, and you must thwart off any attempt they make in obtaining what has been our family clandestine since your great, great ancestor Marielle Caspian. _

_This is goodbye of course; for I am certain I have no hope of evading them. Even in the off chance I find a way to escape, I shall not live for much longer for I have been duped by a slow carnage poison in which they refuse to give me the antidote for without answers. And anyone who knows Claribell Austen knows I would rather die than give in to scum! _

_Hence I pass on to you, my dearest Andromeda, a vendetta against the iniquitous man who transpired this in the first place. The one who shall go to no ends to uncover the truth and the one who you must rid the world of if only to better it and keep our honour safe. _

_I plead you this rather than your brother as he is far too pure of heart and I am led to believe it unfeasible he could accomplish something like this. _

_But you are courageous my dear girl. I have faith in you. _

_The Malfoy line must be brutally severed. They must pay._

_Never forget me daughter, _

_Sincerely_

_Mother. _

"Miss Granger, pick up these poor books immediately!" Madame Pince screeched.

Hermione looked up and mumbled a quick apology before hastily grabbing a handful of the books and rushing out of the library. She could hear an unhappy Madame Pince still squawking inside the library about the remaining books which Hermione had abandoned on the cold library floor…

…………………………………………………………………………………………

Draco read through the letter again and came to the same conclusion.

"What in Merlin's name is this woman on about and when did this occur?" He staggered.

"I'm not sure…" Hermione said as she rubbed at her forehead where a headache was beginning to form.

"It raises as many questions as it answers!" She finally said and let her arms fall flop unceremoniously to her sides.

"I swear I've heard that name before though." Draco said, staring intently at the parchment as if the answer was suddenly going to appear.

"I thought so too! I'm not exactly sure where, but Claribell Austen seems so familiar to me..." She said puzzled.

"No…" Draco butted in. "Not Austen. I meant Caspian." He said drawing his eyes away from the page to look up at Hermione's red rimmed ones. "I've heard Marielle Caspian somewhere before."

They stood silent for a while. Both lost in possible answers to the problems which swarmed them, the cogs in their minds spinning like crazy.

"I'm so scared for you Draco." Hermione suddenly said softly.

Draco drew her in close and cradled her in his arms.

"This is supposed to be over. This isn't supposed to be happening. There shouldn't be anyone trying to kill us still!" She choked out.

"Hermione no-one is trying to kill you." Draco said sternly, holding her at arms length.

"They're only after me, and if being near me is going to put you in harms way then…"

"Don't you dare!" Hermione seethed, swiping ferociously at her tears.

Draco looked up at his lover in her state of fury. And felt terribly guilty. How could he put her in the face of danger again?

"I'm only trying to protect you Hermione." He tried soothingly. He went to let go of her and walk away but Hermione grasped him by the arm and swivelled him around.

"Protect me?" She said, her voice constricted.

"What are you playing at Malfoy!? You know that's absoluter tripe! You can't leave me because you think it's going to protect me!" She spat, pushing him roughly in the chest. Draco staggered back yet his face stayed blank.

"You can't leave me." She said through gritted teeth. She came close enough that their noses almost grazed and stared into his swirling, silvery orbs. She could see the pain within twirling around.

"Because then you would be killing me anyway." She sobbed softly.

Draco's hands took Hermione's face tightly within their grip as he stowed down upon her lips with a rough, passionate kiss. Hermione let out a whimper at his ferocity but the kiss was over as quick as it began, as he suddenly let go and pushed away, before turning swiftly and heading towards the castle.

Hermione stood frozen to the spot as the tears streamed down her face.

"I hate you!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. The words were wrought with emotion, yet none of them were of contempt.

Draco continued to walk, afraid that if he turned around he wouldn't be able to continue walking. He felt his eyes burn as he held back tears.

He needed to do this. He was only keeping her safe. There was nothing else he could do, right?

………………………………………………………………………………………

Draco burst through the doors to the great hall where students were beginning to leave on their way to the quidditch match. He made his way over to the Gryffindor table and gripped Harry by the shoulder and began to pull him off the stool.

"Hey what the!? Malfoy what the hell!!" He said shrugging Draco's hand off and pulling himself to his feet.

Ron quickly rose as well and stood beside Harry wearing the most menacing face he could muster.

Draco barely noticed.

Harry noticed bloodshot hue of Draco's eyes and his anger quickly subsided and being replaced with his protective, hero complex in which he had only recently stopped wearing.

"What's going on?" He asked rigidly.

Draco looked around the hall and noticed the inquisitive stares he was getting from other students at his abrupt approach at the one and only Harry Potter.

He motioned for Harry to follow him and began to wind his way towards the front of the hall, past the professor's table and into a back room in which Harry recognised from fourth year.

The cups and plaques and awards glittered and shimmered around them, reflecting their features at odd angles. Ron galloped into the room after them accidentally running into a tilted stack of unsteady prizes which came crashing to the floor.

"I need your help." Draco said swivelling around and eyeing Harry determinedly. He never thought he'd have to ask this to Wonder Boy of all people but he had bigger things on his mind than pride. After all what Malfoy pride did he have left? He expected Harry to snort or at least smirk; rubbing in the fact that Draco Malfoy of all people was here asking him for help. But he didn't. He simply stood waiting plain faced for him to continue and Draco saw a glimpse of what it was that everyone admired about him. It wasn't the scar at all, although I'm sure that had a lot to do with it, it was the fact that even with all his achievements and glory Harry didn't act as if he was superior at all.

Draco went on to explain the events of the last few weeks up until approaching Harry in the hall only moments before. Of course Harry and Ron were shocked to here about the engagement and Ron blew a fuse before Harry calmed him down.

Draco took a seat and hung his head wearily, waiting for Harry to say something.

"Well first things first, you have to go find Hermione and apologise or I promise you, you're not going to be able to figure this out even with our help."

Draco looked up appalled. "I can't Potter… I, I don't want her to be put in harms way because of me." He said with much fervour.

"It's too late for that. You can try all you like to push her out of the situation but she is as much a part of it as you and I've learnt from experience; when it comes to Hermione you can't simply try and exclude her. It's not worth it." Harry said, staring with a great deal of conviction at Draco.

Draco sat silently, mulling over his words... Damn Potter!

"Now grow yourself a backbone and apologise. By the sounds of things you don't have a lot of time to waste and if there's anyone who can figure this mystery out it's her."

Draco let out a sigh and rubbed the palm of his hands into his eyes before nodding slowly.

Harry turned around and he and Ron headed towards the door.

"Bloody Slytherin's, utter cowards they are." Ron mumbled under his breath.

Draco let out a dangerous growl in his throat. He may have gained a small amount of respect for Scarhead but he still wished to hex his sidekick, Weasel to oblivion every time the dim-witted lout spoke.

…………………………………………………………………..

**A/N: Okies what'd you think? Nobody seems to be reviewing lately so I'm worried that even though some people are reading it they just aren't liking it, and my views for the chapters are gradually dcreasing with each one I post. Is everyone really not liking where the story is going? **

**If so then thats fine :) but please tell me so!! If you can just let me know then I can change that for you. And if thats not the case and you truly are liking it then please review coz I'm rather worried that no-ones liking it in which case I'm not really getting alot of inspiration to continue with it which makes me sad coz I have so many ideas for it. **

**But would there be a point if nobody likes it? **

**Since it took me so long to update this one I've wrote a lil oneshot for you all. Its pretty silly but it's there anyway for your perusement. **

**LB xoxo**


	9. Chapter 9

_Rehash: Draco let out a sigh and rubbed the palm of his hands into his eyes before nodding slowly. _

_Harry turned around and he and Ron headed towards the door. _

"_Bloody Slytherin's, utter cowards they are." Ron mumbled under his breath. _

_Draco let out a dangerous growl in his throat. He may have gained a small amount of respect for Scarhead but he still wished to hex his sidekick, Weasel to oblivion every time the dim-witted lout spoke. _

…………………………………………………………………..

Chapter nine

"Where is it!" She screeched as she flung the bedding around the room before storming over to the wardrobe and vandalising anything she could get her hands on.

She tore apart the room before thundering into the living room, her face twisted in anger as she stalked over to Artemis who sat sleeping soundly in a chair.

"WHERE IS IT!" She bellowed into his face.

Artemis sat up petrified by the abrupt noise to find Andromeda standing above him red-faced and fuming over something or other…

"What have you done to it!" She said pointing a thin finger at him.

"What have I done with what?" He asked weakly.

"You know what!" She spat. "The letter! Mother's letter what have you done!?"

"Nothing I swear! I didn't even know you brought it with you Andy I promise I don't know. I don't!" He said, sinking into his armchair.

Andromeda recoiled letting out a viper-like shriek as she paced the room thinking desperately of when she last had it… and that's when she remembered.

"Argh Mother of Merlin!" She screeched.

Andromeda thundered out of the room walking past a small table and thrusting out her hand sending a vase flying and smashing into a million pieces on the floor.

Artemis flinched as she slammed the bedroom door closed and quickly went over with his wand to repair the vase.

Inside Andromeda threw herself onto the bed and thought about trying to make another trip to the library to retrieve the letter. The day in which it arrived was still sharp in her mind...

It was over a year ago. She had awoken to another sour day in which the sunshine seemed to mock her mood. Her mother had been missing for over three weeks now and no-one had the faintest idea what had happened to her.

Andromeda had struggled down to the kitchen where Artemis sat over a bowl of cereal and a copy of the Daily Prophet.

"You know that thing is full of rubbish." She snapped as she opened the fridge.

Artemis didn't reply, simply flicked the page.

Andromeda groaned as she peered into the fridge. There was a bottle of more than likely tart milk, some old Casserole, a container of butter and a half empty carton of cooled pumpkin juice.

They weren't rich. They weren't purebloods they were simply an average family, apart from the fact that the only man of the household was Artemis. Their father Martin had died a suspicious death a few years earlier of which many conspiracy theories still floated around about…

"That's it I'm sick of this." Andromeda moped.

Artemis looked up vaguely at her before returning to his bowl of cereal.

"Lets… Lets go shopping Artemis." She said confidently.

Artemis snorted.

"Well we need to get _food _brother and in case you haven't noticed mother isn't just going to re appear and get it for us!" She snapped.

Artemis sighed and nodded before whipping out his wand and cleaning his bowl.

Andromeda ran upstairs to get changed to go out in town when she heard a familiar rapping at her bedroom window.

A dishevelled looking owl was banging its head up against the glass and causing quite a ruckus. Andromeda quickly opened the window and the owl flew in, dropped the letter before spinning around the room a few times and once again disappearing out the window.

Andromeda opened the note and her breath hitched. Her eyes began to burn as she held back tears.

"Andy are you coming or what?" Artemis yelled up the stairs.

Andromeda took a moment to compose herself. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths before walking complacently out of the room and down the hall to the master bedroom. Upon entering she went to the main wardrobe and picked out one of the many matching outfits which presided within. The blood red of the robe seemed to sense her as she finished doing it up and it curled around her curves matching her form perfectly.

Andromeda stalked out of the room and down the stairs. Her face completely missing of any emotion. Artemis was waiting at the front door when she entered and at one look at her his face grew morbid.

"She's…"

"Yes. She's gone." Andromeda said, holding up the parchment.

……………………………………………………

Hermione sat by the lake lost in thought's that she couldn't seem to comprehend which frustrated her to no extent.

The water rippled lightly as a breeze came through, swooping and diving and dancing about through the air.

She fingered her engagement ring, twirling it between her fingers.

"That's a mighty pretty ring you've got there Granger." A voice said behind her.

Hermione was unfazed and she continued looking at the ring as the sun glinted off its surface.

"I know. Apparently it's meaningless though." She said softly

Draco sat down beside her.

"Where'd you get it?" He asked.

"Look Malfoy I don't feel like playing games with you this afternoon so if you don't mind..." She said bitterly as she stood to leave.

Draco let out a tired breath of air.

"I just want to keep you safe Hermione." He said sullenly.

Hermione let out a snort and continued walking away.

Draco let out an aggravated growl and pulled himself to his feet, before taking chase after Hermione. He grabbed her roughly by the arms and spun her round. They stood there silently simply staring fiercely and both with immense pain pooling within their eyes.

Finally Hermione spoke up,

"Are you done playing games?" She said as assertively as possible, yet her voice still trembled.

Draco drew her into his arms and embraced her lovingly. Hermione did not reciprocated; instead choosing to stay stock still and wait for a reply. Draco drew his breath down to her ear.

"Yes 'Mione I'm so sorry. I'm such an imbecile." He whispered, his voice edging on desperate.

He carried his lips down to hers and pressed against them lightly. Hermione responded with her own sweet kisses which soon turned into hungry passionate ones, as she held his face within her hands. Draco drew back and removed the ring from Hermione's robes. He snaked his hand down her arm and brought her hand up where he placed the ring upon her finger.

"No more hiding." He said.

Hermione nodded and gave him a weak smile. Draco grinned and swept Hermione off of her feet before carrying her into the castle and up to her apartment. They collapsed onto the bed where Draco made up for his mistake over and over again…

………………………………………………

In the dark of night Andromeda crept towards the library. She grew sick and tired of delving within the confines of her brother and took any opportunity she could to explore the castle by herself. This wasn't an easy task as no-one knew she was even here. Once when she spotted Harry Potter and his friends out of a window she had stopped out of curiosity to watch and worried they had seen her. But she had a bigger problem on her hands. Where was that letter?

The large heavy library door creaked open and she crept into the restricted section. The last time she was here she had been rifling through books on dream control so as to invade the Granger girl's dreams in a desperate attempt to get her to murder Draco Malfoy. It was becoming increasingly hard to catch him. She had found that she could not harm him herself and was yet to figure out why, but as soon as she did she had vowed to find a way to remedy that problem.

When she reached the section in which she had last occupied she traced the shelves for the tome with which she had found the spell and marked it with the only available marker on her… the letter.

She pulled the tome out and outlined the gold embossed title"_The Lactentium book of dark arts through trance." _

Andromeda began to rifle through the pages until she found the one containing the magic she had employed. There was no letter. She began desperately flicking throughout the pages, holding the book upside down and shaking it. She attempted to summon the letter before realizing she had purposely made it unable to be summoned and eventually she began to tear all the books she had looked in from the shelves and searchingly voraciously for sign of the parchment.

When she left the library her eyes were dark with contempt. She remembered from the run in with the Granger girl this morning that she was cradling many a book on trance when she passed and she instantly knew where that letter was. Maybe this wasn't all bad then… Maybe she could use this to her advantage…

…………………………………………………………………………………………

Hermione and Draco were curled up within the sheets which twisted abstractly around their limbs.

Although both were usually unable to be stopped from talking, they were both silent. Simply lying together after making love quietly. No words were necessary as they had reached an understanding. That being they needed each other.

There was no way either could even contemplate the idea of going this alone anymore. It just wasn't fathomable.

All of a sudden a knock sounded at the door.

Draco closed his eyes and let out an irritated breath of air. Hermione unravelled herself and grabbed her nightgown off the back of a chair. She slipped it on whilst walking into the living room and towards the portrait hole.

Hermione hesitantly released the latch and pushed it open.

To find nothing. The hall was empty. Hermione furrowed her brows utterly perplexed.

Just as she went to close the portrait again she spotted a small note which lay haphazardly on the cold stone floor before the portrait. She picked it up and closed the portrait again before making her way back to the bedroom where Draco still lay.

"What did Pothead want." He said lazily, not even bothering to open his eyes.

"It wasn't Harry." Hermione replied, crawling back onto the bed and sitting cross-legged next to Draco, note in hand.

He opened one a crack to look up at Hermione.

"Weaselbee then?" He asked.

"Nope." Hermione said shaking her head. "It was no-one. There was no-one there." She said.

Draco scoffed and closed his eyes again.

"This was though." Hermione said nervously, holding up the parchment.

Draco quickly sat up and took the parchment from her hands.

"What in Merlin does this mean?" He said bewildered.

"I haven't a clue." Hermione replied.

_Hogwarts, A History_ -_ MC _was all that was printed upon the note.

Hermione's brain was working at a hundred miles an hour, whizzing through every page of Hogwarts, A history in her head. She had read it that many times that she had memorised every page. Draco simply sat watching her extremely entertained. He always got a kick out of watching Hermione at her prime. Her eyes darted and her face contorted in concentration. You could almost see the thoughts whiz past her eyes yet too fast for any other witch or wizard to catch.

All of a sudden Hermione took a sharp intake of air and looked up at Draco, her eyes wide.

"Of course..." She breathed.

Draco smiled at her.

"So?" He said.

Hermione shot off the bed and ran into living room. She came back with a copy of Hogwarts, A history in hand.

"I knew I'd heard it somewhere before." She muttered.

She rifled through the pages before coming to a stop and slamming her hand down upon it.

"See right here! This is where I'd seen it before." She grinned.

Draco took the book from her hands and read through the page.

"Marielle Caspian… You old witch." He said.

**A/N: What'd you think my lovely readers? I guess I raised a few mroe questions with this chappy but i reckon I answered a few aswell... maybe.. actually not really I just sort of gave you clues. :P anyone know thy symbolism of the red robes? What exactly does Marielle Caspian have to do with Hogwarts, A history? WHy can't Andromeda hurt Draco herself?? **

**If you have any ideas forming no matter how outlandish let me know XD **

**And if you have any questions or are confused I would be happy to answer the or fix up anything confusing. **

**xo LB**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: SO SORRY EVERYONE! I know I haven't updated in a few weeks but I've been flat out and a little dry in the writing department. I'm still not even happy with this one but I decided it was time for a little bit of lighter reading as I didn't want this story to move too fast. So even though there's a little bit of information at the start. This is more or less a little bit of a good time for my lovely characters. **

_Rehash: "I knew I'd heard it somewhere before." She muttered. _

_She rifled through the pages before coming to a stop and slamming her hand down upon it. _

"_See right here! This is where I'd seen it before." She grinned. _

_Draco took the book from her hands and read through the page. _

"_Marielle Caspian… You old witch." He said. _

Chapter ten. 

_excerpt from Hogwarts, A History. Chapter 41, Early 19th century orders and societies._

_Orders and so__cieties were quickly forming within the school due to the corruption of the then Wizarding world by Magnesia the Glacier witch and the students became divided. To this day some societies are still believed to be in operation yet many suspicions lie around as to what their purpose is or to whose side of the battle they were truly on.  
Orders and societies such as the __**Balëgnyne's** __(a group of students whom recruited many followers and began to reincarnate ancient oracles to steal their wisdom) were hunted by those who sought wisdom, and the enforcements to prevent the damage they were causing in the space time continuum.  
__An even more illusive society was the __**LaBrae**.__ It is believed that they were a select group of students who performed horrifying deeds upon unfortunate chosen witches and wizards to extract certain magical components in an attempt to create a **Braelit**. Some believe they were successful yet others are convinced that Braelit's are nothing more than tales spun by wives in the 13__th__ century. (For more on Braelit's refer to Hogwarts myths and Legends, page 907.) This erroneous group were never tracked and their reasons for singling specific wizards and witches are still unknown. The most known about the **LaBrae** is that they supposedly only ever met when the constellation of Airedale was visible (yet where they met was never discovered.) and supposedly the leader of the society wore a blood red robe.  
One of the victims of the **LaBrae's** crimes was a Hogwarts Professor. In 1821 Hogwarts employed the young and extremely talented Archibald the Alchemist (For more on Archibald the Alchemist refer to Hogwarts Professor's section 3b. page 179.) His service to the school came to an untimely end which to this day remains a mystery with which many myths and legends still linger around.  
Archibald was discovered by a Ravenclaw student and then Head Girl, Marielle Caspian in the dungeons behind a suit of armour wrapped in a red sheet. After autopsy it was discovered that his anatomy had become voids of veins which had somehow been completely and cleanly extracted. _

…………………………………………………………………

Hermione and Draco made there way out towards the quidditch pitch for the match.

"I knew I'd heard that name somewhere I knew it!" She said.

"So there was a portrait of her in my quarters last year?" Draco chuckled. "I never even knew."

"Well she was head girl at one stage so of course she got her portrait up in Hogwarts. She seemed nice enough. Do you really think she could have killed poor Archibald?"

"Hermione not everyone is as sincere as you. Some people may appear like that on the outside but you should never trust face value. She was a Ravenclaw, thirsty for knowledge and wisdom. Who knows what that _Braelit_ thing or whatever it was they were trying to create could do. And maybe they succeeded and that's what Claribell Austen was talking about in that letter."

Hermione nodded. It made sense.

The roars of the crowd were getting louder as they edged toward the pitch.

"Good luck today then Mr Malfoy." Hermione said cheekily as they took their seats in the teachers stands.

"Against those blood thirsty Ravenclaws your soppy Slytherin's will need it."

Draco feigned hurt before grinning and looked out at the field as the Ravenclaw's entered the pitch.

Three quarters of the crowds cheered wildly and Hermione laughed as she watched Draco pouting and muttering incoherent thoughts beneath his breath.

The Slytherin's entered the field and amongst all the boo's from the Ravenclaw supporters Draco's shouting cheers of support were bellowed loudly. Even more surprising was when Hermione stood up and cheered for Slytherin alongside him.

"C'mon Slytherin's! Show 'em what we're made of!" Draco shouted.

"C'mon, put that Slytherin Determination to good use out there!" Hermione yelled.

Draco looked down startled and Hermione looked up and raised an eyebrow.

"You're my future husband I don't really think it would be right to cheer for Ravenclaw."

Draco grinned and began to shout cheers again above the roars of the student mass.

Madame Hooch made her way to the centre of the pitch and the Quaffle was released.

_And they're off! Slytherin in possession now, a pass to Larson, Marx, back to Larson, he fakes left throwing off McLeish! Larson passes to Giles, Giles weaving his way threw the Ravenclaw's now and... and... Oh!! Ravenclaw steals the Quaffle right out of his hands! _

Two rows behind Hermione and Draco, Andromeda sat thinking intently, glaring holes into the back of Draco's skull.

_Reagan scores!! Ravenclaw ten, Slytherin nil… _

"Come on you slimy Slytherin's you're being beaten by bookworms!" Hermione shouted.

Draco looked at her appalled and she simply laughed.

"I do believe you just insulted both teams in that one sentence!" He said humoured.

"That I did."

_Ravenclaw in possession. Brentwood passes to Argo- No he doesn't! Hendrix intercepts! Slytherin in possession now. Marx passes to Abele, Abele speedily making her way up the end of the pitch, these Ravenclaws just can't get her! _

On the other side of the pitch Harry and Ron were sitting amongst the Gryffindor's cheering wildly for the Ravenclaws.

"Hey Harry! Harry can you see that!?" Ron yelled in an attempt to be heard over the roar.

"See what? The intercept? Yeh I guess it was good but..."

"No, over there!" Ron shouted pointing towards the teachers stands. Harry followed his finger and looked over at Draco and Hermione. They were both cheering wildly as well but he was quite certain it was for Slytherin. Sure it was depressing that Hermione was cheering for those sneaky snakes but Ron chose to point that out? No, it couldn't be that. He looked at the other teachers and his eyes fell two rows up to where Professor Artemis Lithben sat staring intently at Draco and Hermione. His face was fixed with a menacing snarl.

"Don't worry about it Ron." Harry said.

Ron grumbled and just continued to watch the game. He was certain he had seen a flicker of change upon the face of Professor Lithben. As if for a split second someone else was peering through.

Amongst the throng of flying robes Harry snaked his hand down the arm of the little red-headed girl beside him and grasped her hand. He felt butterflies fluttering frenziedly within his stomach but they all disappeared when he felt her squeeze his hand gently back. Harry looked down into her brown speckled eyes and she gave him a slight little smile. Tiny little tears were appearing on the corners of her eyes and although at first Harry felt terrible he realised that these were nothing but tears of bliss. Merlin he missed that smile, those eyes, the feel of her small soft hand within his.

"Thankyou" She mouthed silently.

Harry shook his head and leaned closer so as not to alert Ron to the situation.

"No." He whispered. "Thank_you._"

_I think he's spotted it, yes there it is! The snitch! The snitch! Von has spotted the snitch, here comes Thatcher, he's gaining! It's neck and neck boys and girls! Oh and look at that! Von has… has swung off of his broom and is attempting to catch the snitch with his feet! And, yes… YES! HE'S GOT IT! THE GAMES OVER FOLKS! SLYTHERIN WIN 50 TO 20! _

Hermione and Draco stood up and joined the Slytherin's in their ear splitting applaud which managed to somehow drown out the three quarters of the stadium groaning and booing.

Draco turned and picked up Hermione twirling around excited.

"We won, we won!" He chanted immaturely. "You're our little slytherin charm now my dear." He said.

Hermione laughed uncontrollably. "Yes, we won we won. But I am _no _slytherin charm. When it's against Gryffindor I am most certainly rooting for them Draco."

He put her down and sighed. "I guess that would be alright." He said staring down into her beaming russet brown eyes. The full golden sun glinting playfully off of them.

He brought his face down close to hers and brushed his lips against hers. All the teachers had vacated the stands and joined the celebration on the pitch, or began the journey back to the castle leaving them alone up in their sector with nothing but the background noise of the students.  
Well that's what they thought anyway. But standing rigid at the top of the stairs, still unable to turn and leave was Andromeda… well Artemis Lithben. His face contorted into the image of Andromeda's anger.

'I'll get that murderer.' She thought as she finally managed to turn and leave.

'And **she**… will help.'

**A/N: Soo... do you like? Or would you have preferred I just kept zooming on into the mystery plot. Truly I think I actually gave quite a lot of information in that excerpt.. OH! the page numbers of the excerpts on Archibald the Alchemist and Braelit's shall be included later on. I just didn't want to put them all in at once. I have some exciting stuff coming up in the next few chapters as we plunge even firther into the mystery... yet at the same time getting closer and closer the unravelling the whoe kit and kaboodle. Please review. I hope you're all Harry and Ginny fans as well coz I lvoe them nearly as much as Hermione and Draco. XD I dedicate that little lovey bit in here to my friend Madeline. **

**Anyway... thanks for reading. LB. x**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I AM SO SORRY READERS! I can't believe it's been 2months and I haven't updated. It's just been a lack of time, motivation and ideas! So this weekend I felt so awful that I forced mysel fot sit down and pull out a couple of chapters. I hope they'er up to scratch. Once again... VERY SORRY**

_Rehash: He brought his face down close to hers and brushed his lips against hers. All the teachers had vacated the stands and joined the celebration on the pitch, or began the journey back to the castle leaving them alone up in their sector with nothing but the background noise of the students. Well that's what they thought anyway. But standing rigid at the top of the stairs, still unable to turn and leave was Andromeda… well Artemis Lithben. His face contorted into the image of Andromeda's anger. _

'_I'll get that murderer.' She thought as she finally managed to turn and leave. _

'_And she… will help.' _

Chapter eleven. 

The Sunday morning greeted Hermione most unkindly. She turned over and groaned blocking out the sunlight with her pillow. Her stomach was churning. Swishing and swirling. All of a sudden she jolted upright and clambered out of the bed.

Draco opened his eyes wearily and watched her scramble out and sprint to the bathroom where he heard the unmistakable gags of someone throwing up.

Quickly he kicked the sheet down and jotted into the bathroom and stood at the door.

"Granger?" He asked.

Hermione fell beside the toilet bowl.

"Too many celebratory mead's last night I think." She said, closing her eyes and resting against the cabinet beside her.

Draco crossed his arms and leant against the door jam.

"You had two Granger." He chuckled.

Hermione scowled. "I don't drink very often thankyou." She got to her feet and pushed him out of the bathroom.

"I'm going to have a shower, I'll meet you down at breakfast later." She hollered.

Draco swaggered across the room yawning and grabbed his pile of clothes off the bed end. He lazily pulled himself into them as he heard the shower start and made his way out of Hermione's quarters and down to breakfast.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Hermione turned off the shower and slipped out onto the plush maroon bath mat. She grabbed a matching towel off the counter and wrapped it around her, wringing her hair out as she headed out of the bathroom. She swung the bathroom door open and made to walk into the bedroom when she froze.

There sitting on the edge of the bed, legs crossed, seemingly careless as she examined her nails was a woman in a blood red robe.

Hermione looked around desperately for her wand before recognising its hawthorn tip poking out of the woman's pocket. Hermione took a large gulp and gained some courage. _If she wanted to kill me she would have done it already… wouldn't she?_

"Who – Who are you?" Hermione asked meekly.

The woman finally drew her gaze away from her fingers and looked up at Hermione.

"Hello Hermione." She said smiling brightly.

Her calm sweet nature lessened Hermione's discomfort as she stopped edging her way around the room to the door and instead took a seat in an arm chair situated against a far wall.

"May I ask who you are and why exactly you are in my room?" Hermione inquired curtly.

"I- am Andromeda. Andromeda Isobel Lithben."

Hermione gaped at her. "Your- You're Artemis' sister?"

Andromeda nodded.

Hermione sat in silence. The blood red robes, the name… It all made sense. Too much sense.

"Aren't you going to ask me why I am here?" Andromeda said.

Hermione stared at her intently. "I already have."

Andromeda seemed to be recalling the conversation in her head until she pinpointed the moment Hermione had asked.

"Right. Well I'm here to warn you actually." Andromeda said.

"…About what?"

"About your fiancée." She replied. She turned on the bed and faced Hermoine intently.

Hermione groaned and leaned back in the chair.

"Did you know he was a death eater." Andromeda said with determination.

"He wasn't actually." Hermione spat.

Andromeda snorted. "He's leading you on." She said as she leaned back against the pillows and folded her arms behind her head.

Hermione was outraged.

"He is doing nothing of the sort!" She said as she stood defiantly and made her way to the side of the bed.

Andromeda simply watched her approach and look down over her in nothing but a large fluffy maroon towel, her wet hair plastered to her back.

"He's dangerous. A murderer." Andromeda said viciously as she knelt up on her hands.

"Draco has killed no-one! Where are you getting this information from!?" Hermione shouted.

Andromeda got up on her knees on the bed. "It's true. I know you don't want to believe it. I don't either. But the truth is that he killed my mother. Killed her Hermione! I know this for fact!" She cried.

"He didn't! He- He couldn't!" Hermione cried.

"He could and he did!" Andromeda seethed. She crawled off the bed in a cat like fashion. She was taller by a head and stood over her, staring down ferociously.

Hermione shook her head and avoided eye contact. As much as she didn't want to, she felt hot tears fill her eyes.

"You have no proof." She said through gritted teeth.

Andromeda snorted. "Proof! You've seen my proof! That letter you stole! Isn't that proof enough!?"

Hermione's breath hitched.

"Your mother was Claribell Austen?" She asked.

Andromeda stepped backwards and sat down unceremoniously atop the bed. "Yes." She muttered.

Hermione felt fresh air fill her lungs and was unaware she had even been holding her breath.

"Oh thank goodness." Hermione said.

"Andromeda looked up with daggers in her eyes before jolting up again and coming nose to nose with Hermione.

"Thank goodness?" She seethed.

"No – No I meant…"

"Here I come to save you! Save you from the murderous man intent on killing you as he did my mother and you say thank goodness!?"

"I didn't mean it like that!! I just meant…"

"Don't you dare." She hissed.

Hermione fell quiet. A red glaze seemed to be swirling within Andromeda's eyes. Her normally motionless black locks were prickling with an undeniably dangerous energy.

"If you aren't with me then you're against me. And if you're against me – then you shall face death as well." She said. Every word was laced with a deadly verdict.

Andromeda turned around and strided towards the door. She flicked Hermione's wand over her shoulder before crossing the threshold and exiting the bedroom.

Hermione listened to her retreat down the stone staircase andcrossing the living room and opening the portrait, leaving nothing behind but the click of it closing and the pungent odour of vanilla essence.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Draco sat in his usual seat in the Great Hall scoffing scrambled eggs. He had decided that today was the day he would post out a letter to his mother to let her know about the wedding. He was sure she would be delighted and want to plan the whole thing. Her and the Grangers are more than likely going to run the show unless Hermione manages to get them…

"_Draco!_" A voice hissed from over his shoulder.

Draco turned around and saw Hermione peering wearily around him. He grabbed her hand and pulled her in close.

"Yes?" He whispered back.

"I have to talk to you." Hermione said.

Draco screwed up his face and looked at her suspiciously.

"…Ok. Go ahead." He said, letting go of her hand and leaning away so as to look up at her face.

Hermione sighed in frustration and leaned in close again.

"Alone!" She hissed.

Draco tried to read her eyes for sign of what this could be about but gave up and lifted himself from his chair.

Hermione automatically began to walk away. Striding across down towards the end of the teachers table to make her way to the door. Draco hastily caught up and pulled her by the arm in the opposite direction and into the trophy room.

"Now. Speak." Draco said gruffly.

Hermione cast him a disgusted look as his curtness but nevertheless recalled her visit from Andromeda Lithben.

They stood in silence for what seemed like an eternity to Hermione before Draco suddenly turned slowly from her and began to look around at all the trophies in nervous silence.

"I didn't do that Hermione." He suddenly said as he fingered a golden chalice engraved for outstanding achievement in charms.

"Of course I know you didn't! She must have it wrong. The wrong Malfoy! Maybe your father killed her mother…"

Draco let out a grunt and flung the chalice back onto the pile and put his hands in his pockets and continued to look around deep in concentration. He stopped and leant against a bench top glinting with items.

"See I knew this would happen!" He suddenly shouted as he pushed off the bench and swung around to face Hermione, his face contorted with rage.

Hermione stood still staring back indignantly. "Don't start this again Draco." She muttered and folded her arms across her chest.

"Now you're in danger because of me! Because of who I am!"

"It's not who you are it's who she **thinks **you are! And you're acting as if I can't hold up for myself! I've been in danger before, I'm pretty sure you know that, so stop acting so darn gallant and treat me as an equal! You're not just my protector alright! You're my equal." Hermione yelled. She stood there breathless and angry. Hands curled in tight fists at her sides, eyes dark with fury.

Draco tried hard to continue to stare back incensed but struggled to maintain eye contact when Hermione was standing there flowing with determination. He lowered his gaze and stuffed his hands in his pockets as his anger subsided.

Hermione watched Draco struggle with defeat and slowly stepped forward, closing the gap between them. She lifted his face with her hands and forced his eye contact.

"I'm sick of going over this Draco." She said with certain softness yet still with conviction.

Draco nodded and brought a hand up to clasp hers.

"I-"

Draco suddenly caught site of a familiar medallion hanging around the neck of a suit of armour behind Hermione. He let go of her and pushed passed over to a small opaque pendant.

It took the shape of a tear drop and the crystal encased a ruby, set into the centre of the drop.

Draco lifted the medallion on its thick silver chain off the armour and fingered it curiously.

"What…" Hermione began wearily but Draco answered the question before she had time to ask it.

"I've only ever seen one of these before."

Hermione leaned in over his shoulder to look at the pendant more closely.

Draco handed the medallion to her for a closer look. Hermione spun it between her fingers. Turning it over and over. She noticed a small crack circling the drop round the centre. So small that it is hardly believable that anyone else would have seen it unless they knew it would be there.

She slowly twisted the two halves and got the shock of her life.

"… Where have you seen one of these before?" She stuttered.

Draco watched transfixed at the contents of the pendant.

"Last year at the Karkaroff estate."

Hermione looked up stunned and watched his Adam's apple bob as he gulped.

"It was hanging around the neck of Claribell Austen."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

**A/N: Okay was it satisfactory?? I really hope so dears. I'm not vry incensed to finish this story even though at the same time I really do want to! So your suipport would be deeply appreciated. Thanks and remember to review!! **

**LB xx**


	12. Chapter 12

_Rehash: Draco handed the medallion to her for a closer look. Hermione spun it between her fingers. Turning it over and over. Hermione noticed a small crack circling the drop round the centre. So small that it is hardly believable that anyone else would have seen it unless they knew it would be there. _

_She slowly twisted the two halves and got the shock of her life. _

"… _Where have you seen one of these before?" She stuttered. _

_Draco watched transfixed at the contents of the pendant. _

"_Last year at the Karkaroff estate." _

_Hermione looked up stunned and watched his Adam's apple bob as he gulped. _

"_It was hanging around the neck of Claribell Austen."_

……………………………………………………………………………

Chapter twelve.

(Flash back)One year and a half ago. Karkaroff Estate. 

Draco dragged his feet along the dank stone corridors of the castle towards the kitchens in the south wing.

He had been living on the Karkaroff estate for over five months and had been sick of it since he first arrived. The only thing about it he liked was the kitchens which reminded him so fondly of the delicious meals at Hogwarts.

"Get me a pie." He grumbled as he sat down on a low stool beside a low work bench.

"What type of pie sir?" A small house elf sporting a potato sack squeaked.

"Any pie." Draco said grumpily.

The house elf scurried off and left Draco in peace. Voices began to waft out of a large rectangular vent behind him which he knew led to the dining room for heating.

"_Claribell I'm sure we shall be able to work something out as long as you can insure that we shall be repaid."_

"_Oh of course, of course Lucius don't you worry." _

Draco listened in intently.

"_Well if you intend to disappear and not be found I suggest we convince the world that you truly are gone… for good." Lucius said_

"_Yes, yes of course I've already began writing my death letter to my dear daughter." Claribell cackled. _

"_Alright then, well I shall get in contact with my connections at the school and organise you safe passage to the chamber immediately. _

"_Why thankyou Lucius… Now it shall take a full year in which time the Dark Lord should have obliterated the boy and I shall be able to bring forth the newly resurrected LaBrae…"_

"Here master." The small tattered elf said as he plopped a plate down in front of Draco.

"Pumpkin pie, Your favourite I should think." The elf said proudly.

Draco grunted and nodded in assent as he began to devour the pie and tuned back in to the upstairs conversation.

"_When I said I would confide in you the purpose of the LaBrae I didn't mean I would disclose our knowledge. To do that would lose me my title and centuries of secrecy and hard work would be lost." _

"_Fine then Claribell. What is your purpose? What can the __almighty __LaBrae bring to the table for this war?" _Lucius Drawled.

Claribell's cackle filled the kitchen in response.

"_Bring? What can we bring!? Ha! The LaBrae doesn't only __**assist**__ in the war. What you don't know Lucius…" _Claribell dropped her voice to so low a whisper that Draco had to scurry from his chair and stick his head up the large iron vent to listen in.

"_Once the LaBrae resurrect the Aconites the Dark Lord will be the one who assists __us__. And if he can't handle that then we can easily dispose of him." _Lucius' indignation roused but stopped abruptly.

"_Lucius don't you understand? What we know, what weapons and knowledge we have is unmatched by anything! The LaBrae can overpower the dark lord in an instant and you can become a part of it! You will no longer be considered a servant, but a great wizard. Braelit's are no myth Lucius. Braelit's are a thing of unsurpassed power the Dark Lord can only dream of and that the LaBrae possess…" _

"_You choose to betray the Dark Lord?" _Lucius whispered nervously. Claribell snorted.

"_Betray?_ _I am no servant of the Dark Lord. I am Neither with nor against him. Nothing but an...an acquaintance to him right now. __Something of which he is soon to be of me…" _

Draco hurriedly pulled his head out of the vent as he heard the clicking of heels crossing the above floorboards. Someone to overpower the Dark Lord? Is it possible that someone could finally relieve the world of his oppression?

Draco scurried out of the kitchen and up the shaky wooden spiral stairwell. As he reached the top he slowed down to a walk and made it in time to see the dining room doors creak open and a woman draped in blood red robes stride out, followed by his father. They seemed not to have noticed him as Lucius grabbed Claribell by the upper arm and swung her around.

"I cannot assist you in this plan Claribell. You may not be a servant of the Dark Lord but I am."

Claribell turned around with her back to Draco to look Lucius in the eye and whispered something into his ear which Draco couldn't hear. She was tugging at a chain around her neck which Lucius was staring at aghast.

She broke away from Lucius who stood looking mutinous at the woman before he swivelled around slamming the dining room doors shut.

When Claribell turned back around her face was void of emotion making it impossible for Draco to read. Her eyes made contact with Draco's who stood frozen in the corridor. She smiled and strode over towards him. Her face seemed ageless and as she leant in close Draco saw an opaque pendant in the shape of a teardrop dangling around her neck enveloping one single blood red ruby.

"Lucius' son I suspect?" She said sweetly.

Draco nodded and kept the composure of a stony faced gargoyle.

"I'm Caribell Austen...Every single day there's some sort of feud erupting in this castle." She chuckled.

"If I were you, I'd get away. Don't you think? Wouldn't it be nice to escape?" Draco kept his eyes hard upon hers. They were the colour of swirling sapphires.

Claribell stood back up but continued to look at Draco.

"This is the first time I've seen you around here." Draco said determinedly. "Why is that?"

Claribell chuckled. "Dear boy this is an extravagant estate. I'm sure there's many people lingering around here you don't know about. I'm sure I'll see you again though one day. If I'm lucky." She grinned.

Draco smiled back and shoved his hands in his pocket in embarrassment.

Claribell laughed lightly before swaggering off in the direction Draco had just come and following a stairwell up.

Draco watched her leave, her hips swinging side to side seductively before turning and continuing along the corridor past the dining room. Claribell's words had him thinking and he decided right then and there to find out as much about the estate as possible, explore every inch.

He never came across Claribell again and all that he remembered of her was her words as his thirst for freedom increased. He discovered Neville and the secret escape chamber and one month later escaped…

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

(present)

A week passed since Andromeda's visit to Hermione's quarters and Draco's recall of Claribell Austen, yet nothing had come to fruition except speculation of possibilities. They simply kept going over and over the facts again and guessing.

"So your father gave in then?" Hermione asked confused as she and Draco sat beside the lake. The warm summer air had all but disappeared as leaves began to drift to the ground around them.

"I suspect as much. She sent the letter meaning she managed to get to the chamber, wherever that is, and didn't want anyone to find her."

"So what does this mean then?" Hermione asked.

She held up the pendant and Draco took it from her hands and begun to roll it between his fingertips before twisting it open to reveal it's contents.

Once open the ruby seemed to melt into a swirling pool of blood which twirled before them and eventually fading to a sparkling, gluggy translucent liquid and continuing to spin.

Apart from that seemingly nothing else happened and as the two ends of the tear drop closed together the liquid was sucked back in turning the blood red of the ruby once again.

"Maybe it's used to get into the chamber or maybe…"

"Maybe what?"

"Maybe it's a Braelit… I don't really no much about them but considering they're nothing but a myth at present I doubt anyone knows what form they take.

Draco nodded, looking down at the pendant.

"Do you think it would be dangerous to hold it?" He asked.

"Well I'm not exactly sure what the purpose of a Braelit really is but I know it takes a lot of dark magic to create so more than likely… Just to be on the safe side. I've seen what dark magic pendant can do…" She said as she removed the teardrop necklace from Draco's hand and placing it in her small beaded pouch which she had carried with her ever since the beginning of her quest with Harry and Ron. She was recalling the Slytherin locket Voldemort had used to turn into a Horcrux which had depressed anyone who wore it.

Hermione and Draco sat beneath the oak tree in the dank autumn weather both as anxious as the next.

"Well I guess the next thing to do is find out where this… this chamber is." Draco said.

"Do you think it could be the Chamber of secrets?" Hermione asked.

Draco shook his head in disagreement.

"Unlikely. All descendants of Marielle Caspian have been Ravenclaw's therefore it is unlikely they'd use a Slytherin chamber for their meetings."

Hermione let out a growl of frustration and through herself back on the dew-kissed grass.

"Well why did she need your father's help to get into the chamber?" Hermione asked.

"I haven't a clue dear Granger." Draco replied tiredly and fell back against the grass beside her.

Draco turned on his side and propped himself up on his elbow and to look down at the shining face of his fiancée. They had both been so frustrated and on edge this week that they had hardly had time to enjoy each other's company.

"Look, let's just forget about it for today." Draco said soothingly as he played with a lock of her hair.

Hermione rolled over to face him and burrowed her head against his heightened chest on which she could hear his heart beating.

"I uh- I sent letters out this morning to our parents." Draco said hesitantly.

Hermione lifted her head to look up at him. "About what? You didn't tell my parents about this thing did you!?"

"No Granger." Draco drawled. "I sent them letters to inform them that we're getting married."

"Oh…" She said. She seemed to have gone a pasty colour all of a sudden and rolled away from Draco.

"Well that wasn't the reaction I was expecting." He said and stood up ready to storm off in annoyance until he saw Hermione try to clamber to her feet but end up retching on her hands and knees, puking up the contents of her Sunday breakfast.

Draco hasted over to her and helped her up. He tidied up the mess all the while holding Hermione tightly in his arms to prevent her collapsing.

"Granger you're ridiculously sick why didn't you tell me?" He said.

Hermione seemed to return to her normal colour quite quickly and even though she was able to stand on her own Draco wouldn't let go.

"I'm really sorry that was awful timing. I haven't been able to hold anything down lately but I'm usually alright… It's just every now and then I can't…"

"Have you gone to see Poppy?" Draco asked concerned.

"Draco I'm sure it's nothing I've probably just eaten something which didn't sit well with me…"

"Just nothing? Hermione Andromeda could have poisoned you, or maybe you were right about that darn pendant and it has had dark side effects. Look I'm taking you straight to the hospital wing." Draco said unabashed.

Hermione groaned despondently but Draco lifted her up and carried her bridal style towards the castle which Hermione found highly amusing.

"You know what this reminds me off." Hermione said cheekily, remembering their summer at Shell Cottage.

"Granger behave yourself you're dreadfully ill and I'm trying to be a good husband." He scolded.

Hermione smiled at hearing him call himself her husband. Of course they weren't exactly husband and wife yet but that hardly mattered.

"Fine then oh gallant knight. Sweep me off up to the hospital wing and save me for I am dying a horrible death and you are my only hope!" She said melodramatically.

Draco grunted and dropped her abruptly to the floor. Hermione squealed and rubbed her now most certainly bruised behind as Draco stood above her looking down annoyed.

"Are you going to behave like that every time I try to be chivalrous? Because in that case I promise to never be sweet, charming, gallant and chivalrous ever again."

Hermione sighed and gave him a small smile, before helping herself to her feet and staring up into his stormy eyes.

"Sorry Professor." She said bashfully. "I promise never to behave like that ever again."

Draco chuckled and wrapped his arms around her, placing a small kiss upon her nose.

"I don't like it much when you're trying to be cute and funny. It just doesn't suit you." Draco said.

Hermione looked up at him pouting in all seriousness. But Draco simply smiled and took her hand and led her towards the hospital ward.

"Afternoon Poppy." Hermione said sweetly when they entered.

Madame Pomphrey seemed to be filing the potions in the cabinet when they entered and turned around giving them a cheery smile.

"Afternoon Professor's." She winked. "What can I do you for?"

"Granger here is sick." Draco said.

Hermione sighed, agitated.

"I've just had a bit of an upset stomach that's all." She growled. "But Malfoy here _insisted_ I come and get checked out. I really don't want to waste your time though Poppy so…"

"Oh nonsense, nonsense! Come sit down on the bed there dear."

Hermione rolled her eyes and gave Draco one deathly glare as he smiled triumphantly.

Poppy began to perform a series of spells and charms upon Hermione, grumbling in concern beneath her breath the entire time.

Draco stood beside the door with his arms crossed and eyes narrowed as he watched with apprehension.

"Well dear it seems you have no sort of illness whatsoever." Poppy finally announced. "No cold, or bug, or virus or poisoning or disease of any sort."

"See I told you I'm perfectly fine." Hermione said getting up from the bed and walking towards Draco giving him a pointed look.

"Miss Granger where are you going?" Poppy said bemused.

Hermione turned around confused. "You said there was nothing wrong with me… Doesn't that mean I can go?"

"Oh dear there's nothing wrong with you, you are completely healthy, but that doesn't mean that something isn't happening to cause you're upsets. Your normal body functioning most certainly isn't behaving habitually.

Hermione furrowed her brow utterly perplexed and slowly made her way back to the bed and sat down.

Poppy hurried over to the remedies cabinet and pulled out a small vial filled with a blue liquid. She appeared to study it for a while wondering whether or not this was the right thing before looking over at Hermione and making up her mind.

"Take this." Poppy said, her face arranged into a curious expression.

Hermione took the vial with an expression to match and quickly uncorked it and downed the warm liquid. It was soothing on her throat, reminding Hermione of sunflowers.

"Now remove your robe." Poppy demanded.

Hermione hesitantly removed her robe and sat in nothing but her white under-gown.

Draco made his way over to watch and the three waited.

"Is anything supposed to happen?" Draco asked.

"Just wait." Poppy snapped.

Draco grunted and looked back over at Hermione who sat anxiously on the side of the bed.

"What was this?" Hermione asked holding up the vial.

Madame Pomphrey hushed her curtly and continued to stare at Hermione obviously waiting for something to happen.

Hermione began to get extremely impatient, crossing her arms and staring at the ceiling.

"I don't feel any different if that what your expect…"

But Hermione never finished her sentence because all of a sudden Madame Pomphrey let out a gasp and clasped her hands over her mouth.

Hermione looked over at Draco who was staring with his jaw on the floor at Hermione.

Hermione followed his gaze to her stomach which had begun to glow a distinct golden yellow.

**A/N: **Review?


	13. Chapter 13

_Rehash: _"_I don't feel any different if that's what your expect…" _

_But Hermione never finished her sentence because all of a sudden Madame Pomphrey let out a gasp and clasped her hands over her mouth. _

_Hermione looked over at Draco who was staring with his jaw on the floor at Hermione. _

_Hermione followed his gaze to her stomach which had begun to glow a distinct golden yellow._

Chapter thirteen 

"My dear you're, you're…" Madame Pomphrey began excitedly.

"Pregnant…" Draco finished breathlessly.

Hermione's face contorted into that of mortification as her hands began to tremble and she clutched at her flat stomach still glowing golden yellow.

Shakily she stood and wretched up her robe throwing it over her head and turning for the door without saying a word.

Draco and Poppy watched in astonishment as Hermione turned the handle to the infirmary and stepped out closing it quietly.

Once outside the door Hermione froze with her hand still on the handle. What on earth was going on? Pregnant? She couldn't be! Hermione peered down the top of her black robes and saw the obvious golden yellow glow shining blindingly within.

Instantly Hermione let go of the handle and tore off down the corridor.

Hermione ran down the stone steps to the candle lit passage containing portraits of succulent dishes. To her right she recognised the fruit bowl which contained the ticklish pear to enter the kitchens and she finally located the picture of a large lemon tart. Hermione began to trace her finger across the lemon topping of the tart which began to swirl as if she was stirring it with a spoon. The swirling turned into a hole and hermione stepped through into the common room Hermione knew to be Harry and Ron's for the year.

In a distant corner Hermione made out a tuft of blazing red hair sitting before a game of wizarding chess.

"R-Ron!" Hermione shouted. Ron looked back at the sound of her voice and stood up automatically sending his chair flying backwards and his chess pieces scattering hafhazzardly.

"'Mione what happened? Is everyone okay? Did she come back!?" He asked as he loped across the common room to meet her.

"What? No, no Ron it's… it's nothing to do with that. Is Harry around?" She asked looking around nervously. Her eyes were going red, an obvious sign of trying to hold back tears.

"No. No he's not." Ron muttered through gritted teeth before turning around.

Hermione was utterly confused by this behaviour.

"I'm sorry I'm not enough for you Hermione." He said as he went over to pick up his chess pieces.

"Ron, no it's just… I just didn't think this is the kind of thing you would want to talk about with me."

Ron snorted. "Of course. Ron's not good enough a friend to understand or want to help you out. Ron's too stupid to be able to understand any problems. You need Harry Potter, saviour of the wizarding world for that." He said angrily.

"Ron it's not like that!" Hermione said bleary eyed.

"Oh yeah? Well how is it then!? Why don't you let me in on it all for once?" He shouted, his face as red as a beetroot.

"I- it's just that…" Hermione tried as her red-rimmed eyes wandered the room. Finally she gave up attempting to use words and quickly peered down the top of her robe to check that the golden-yellow glow was still illuminating the inside of her robes.

"Wha- Hermione what are you doing!?" Ron said taken aback as Hermione began to struggle her robe off.

Ron began to back against the wall until he saw the golden-yellow glow being emitted from the inside of her under-gown and froze.

He raised one bulky fist, pointing at her stomach.

"'Mione you're… You're glowing!" He said thickly. "Did you eat something you shouldn't have? That happened to George on the summer holidays except it was his face which went…"

"No Ron! I'm pregnant okay! Pregnant!" Hermione shouted.

Ron went white a sheet and began to retreat to the wall again.

Hermione was all of a sudden embarrassed and grabbed her robe, throwing it back on.

"Well uh, okay then." Ron said taking a large gulp.

Hermione sat down on the couch with her head in her hands. She felt the dip in the couch as someone sat down next to her.

"I can't have a child yet Ron." Hermione said her voice barely audible. "I don't have a clue what to do."

They sat in silence. Ron hadn't a clue what to say, he hadn't been expecting anything like this.

"Look Hermione…" He said soothingly as he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her in to his warm chest.

"…I don't really know how reliable my advice for this sort of stuff would be, but Mum was only your age when she had Bill, you know. And I reckon she's done a pretty good job… Well the best she could. I mean she didn't really have a lot to work with..."

Hermione smiled into his chest as she thought of Molly Weasley and her clan of red-headed children.

"…And I know you think you won't have a clue what to do and everything. But out of all the professors at Hogwarts you're the only who seems to know how to handle those ruddy first years…"

Ron felt Hermione chuckling at this and he smiled and gave her a small kiss on the head.

"…And last year if I had heard that you were having a child to bloody Malfoy I would have told you that you were doomed and your child would be a total screw-up…"

Hermione went stiff in Ron's arms.

"…But now, I don't know. I reckon you and him will probably raise some genius kid who will more than likely end up minister for magic or something…" He chuckled.

Hermione softened in his arms.

"…Hermione I know you can do this. If there was ever a better woman to be a parent… then I would probably marry them. Because... well because you're already taken."

…………………………………………………………………………………………

Draco had been wandering the passageways of Hogwarts for over an hour in search of Hermione. He had opened the door to the infirmary in time to see Hermione whip around a corner and as hard as he tried to track her down she had simply disappeared.

Draco heard his stomach let out a lurch and realised he had missed lunch and dinner wasn't for another half an hour.

He made his way down to the kitchens and stopped before a painting of a bowl of fruit and began to tickle the pear who started to squirm.

As the kitchen portrait swung open he heard one behind him creak and he turned around to see Hermione stepping out of a hole in the wall which automatically closed up into a painting of a lemon tart.

She was smiling and as she looked up her eyes locked with Draco's.

Draco opened his mouth to say something but no words came out as he stood half-in, half-out of the kitchen.

They stood staring at each other for ages before anything happened. Then Hermione took a hesitant step towards Draco who instantly recovered from his stationary condition and rushed forwards, gathering Hermione in his arms.

"I thought you weren't going to come back. I thought, I thought you would leave me for not being careful enough for fear I wouldn't be a good father, for thinking I wouldn't want to…"

"Shush Draco… Just, just hold me okay. Just hold me." Hermione whispered.

So Draco merely held her and in simply standing there holding each other they came to an understanding without words. The understood that this was good, that in reality they actually did want this, that there was no-one else they would prefer to have a child with... and that they had to get married before Hermione's stomach grew too large to fit into a dress.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

**A/N: **Okies what'd you think? I'll only post these three chappoes for now but I hope it can suffice till next weekend in which I PROMISE to add ATLEAST one more. And if I don't then I give you permisson to rouse on me for being slack. Actually rousing on me would be good coz it will motivate me to get something out in fear of what you'd do if i didn't :P

So PLEASE Review anmd let me in on what you think. Maybe what you think's happening (which is always interesting) and what you think SHOULD happen (coz thats even better) and I will praise you for eternity!!

LB xx


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